Rags to Riches
by PrincessDaisy2
Summary: What REALLY happened to Han and Leia and the rest of the gang after the Battle of Endor? A fun, humorous, and romantic view of the future adventures of our heroes.
1. Honeymoon Hunger

A/N: No money is being made off of this. Seriously, who would pay me? Most names and places are the property of George Lucas and Co., and it's pretty obvious what the other aspects of the story are that my own deranged mind came up with.

**Rags to Riches**

**Chapter 1**

Leia Organa Solo clutched her husband's arm as they strolled down the pristine cobblestone streets of New Alderaan. The backdrop of snow-peaked purple mountains and yellow dasabi flowers was beautiful, especially today with the cloudless, vibrantly blue sky. They had recently moved here, the location that the Alliance had chosen for the new planetary government. New Alderaan had been a virtually unpopulated planet, much like Hoth and Yavin Four, and the new Republic had decided to reincarnate the Alderaanian civilization there. New Alderaan (under a different name) had served as a rebel base for a time during the war, and it only made sense to establish the new government away from "tainted" Imperial soil; New Alderaan served as a symbol both for new beginnings and as a reminder of the evil of the Empire.

Leia was a senator in the new Alliance senate, and enjoyed her job immensely. Her dashingly handsome husband kept her from working too hard, and kept her grounded. They had been married shortly after the Alliance victory at Endor, and their love for each other strengthened them both, which in turn strengthened the new government. They served as a living symbol of what the Alliance had been fighting for – two people from completely different backgrounds were able to look past titles and backgrounds and see each other for who they really were. Part of what the Alliance had been fighting for was the recognition that it does not matter what someone looks like or has done in the past, it only matters what is inside.

Leia glanced over at her husband and saw that he had been watching her. He watched her a lot now, especially since they had been married. She sometimes wondered if he were checking for a sign that he was dreaming, that he would wake up some day to discover that this wonderful life they shared had just been in his mind. She felt that way sometimes too, especially since Han had been frozen in carbonite. Each morning when they woke up in each other's arms they would sigh with relief, knowing that they would have at least one more day together.

Han cleared his throat, and Leia turned so that she was looking into his eyes. His eyes were so intense; pools of hazel that incessantly saw through her oftentimes-tough exterior and into her very soul. His eyes were his best feature, she thought. They were what had kept her going through those painful months of waiting following Bespin; in the carbonite chamber his eyes had told her that he loved her, not his words. Leia had not been lying when she said, "I know" after he had confessed his love for her in the bunker on Endor: she had known it since the moment she looked into his soul-bearing eyes at Cloud City.

"Hey Sweetheart, I was just thinking about something," Han drawled in his low, sensual, Corellian accent.

"What is it, Han?" Leia asked brightly, snapping out of her trance.

"I was thinking that maybe we could go on a vacation for a while. Ya know, we never really had a honeymoon. Away from the government, that is. And since the Alliance government is all settled now, I thought that maybe we deserve a break for all our hard work," Han suggested with a hopeful smile.

"Oh, Han, I love that idea!" Leia exclaimed, showing off her dazzling white teeth with a heartfelt smile. "I'm sure the government can live without us for a little while. Where were you thinking about going?"

"I was thinking maybe we could go to Corellia. I've seen a lot of your culture now, on this planet, and I thought that maybe you'd like to see mine," said Han.

"Oh, of course I would, Han. I've never been to Corellia, and it would be very interesting to see what it was like for you to grow up there," Leia responded.

"Yeah, well, I can't say that you'll be pleased if that's what you're looking for. I didn't exactly live a wholesome childhood. Both my parents were gone, and sometimes I had to do whatever it took to stay alive, even if it went against my morals," Han replied solemnly.

Leia knew this information all too well, and wanting to ease her husband's sudden depression, said, "_You_ had _morals_?"

Han scowled, but Leia saw that her jibe had done the trick. The tension left him suddenly, and he was eager to respond in his own playful banter.

"Yup. I had em' til' you came along."

"So wanting to take your money and leave, instead of fighting for the good of the galaxy, were your good morals?" Leia asked.

"I never said they were _good _morals, just morals. When you and Luke came along you guys brainwashed me into feeling _compassion_ and _ethics_. Man, you guys really corrupted me," Han said with a grin.

"Well I certainly don't feel any remorse. Come 'ere," Leia said as she pulled him into a kiss. Han wrapped his strong arms around her and responded emphatically to the kiss, deepening it and causing people to glance at them quizzically as they passed by. Leia felt her desire for her beloved grow with every second. After several minutes her passion grew to the boiling point, and she used all the willpower she had to break the kiss and whisper into his ear.

"Flyboy, if we don't get to our room soon, I'm going to be displaying some very undignified behavior in the middle of the street."

Han grinned slyly when he heard his diminutive wife speak these words, and a gleam sparkled in his laughing eyes.

"Well, sweetheart, what're we waiting for?" He asked in a louder voice than Leia would have liked.

Leia glared at Han for a moment for his blatant behavior, but quickly shook off her annoyance as she grasped her husband's arm and began pulling him toward their apartment.

"Waiting is not an option, Hanny-boy," Leia said.

Her husband shook off his annoyance at her name-choice, as he was more than willing to comply with her demands.


	2. A Pleasant Surprise

A/N: This story is currently being posted on another site and I have written over 60 chapters of it so far, so as long as people are interested I will continue to update. Though from the first chapter it seems as if the story will be purely romance, later chapters are a bit more insane (and hopefully humorous) and will involve other characters from the movies, as well as a few new characters. Though constructive criticism is very welcome, flames will be disregarded and flaming this story will only result in the "flamer" looking idiotic.

**Sweetdeath04 **– Thank you very much! Here's an update just for you!

**Chapter 2**

Later that night, Leia turned in Han's arms and sighed into his muscular chest.

"Mmm," she said. "There's no way I'm going to the senate meeting tomorrow. I'm going to stay right here."

"That's fine with me Sweetheart, but don't you want to go on our little vacation?" Han asked with a twinkle of mischief in his eyes.

"Tomorrow? But, I thought that you just came up with that idea yesterday! We still need to book a resort; I need to talk to the senate..." she began.

Han cut her off with a kiss. "Nope, that was a little white lie. I already talked to Mon Mothma and booked a place for us to stay. Everything's good to go."

Leia was on the verge of berating him for not talking to her first, but the realization of the sweetness of the gesture caused her to smile and kiss him sweetly as a thank you. He lovingly caressed her silky chestnut-brown hair and pulled his beloved closer to him before slowly drifting off to sleep, content.

The next day the two lovers woke, for once, without the aid of an alarm. Though they probably could have used some extra rest, they were both so excited about their first real vacation that they could not sleep. Han pulled on his clothes, conveniently piled next to the bed, eliciting a good-natured groan from Leia.

"Han, you're just going to wear the clothes from yesterday?" Leia asked as she was pulling on clean, leisure clothing. "They're wrinkled, and I'm sure they're dirty from working on the Falcon."

Han ignored her and continued putting on his clothes from the day before.

"Oh, Han, you are completely hopeless!" Leia exclaimed, moving toward the closet. "Can't you wear the blue shirt, and the black pants? Is it really so hard?"

"Hey, Your Worship, it's my vacation too, and on vacation I don't really care if I'm dirty and smelly," he rebutted.

Leia decided to move on to plan B, the one she knew always worked. "Han," she purred as she sidled up to him, "_I_ care, and you do need me to...help you have a good time, don't you?"

Han's eyebrows shot up at this remark (which they always did) and (for some reason) he quickly went over to the dresser to retrieve his blue shirt and black pants. All the while Leia watched him with a smug look on her face, aware that she knew her husband all too well.

"That's a good boy, darling. I'm going to pack up my things and then I'll be ready to go. Now what do you say?" Leia asked.

"Yes, of course, oh love of my life, keeper of my heart, counterpart to my soul, woman of my dreams..." Han said, as he had rehearsed.

"Keep going, Han, that's only half of it," Leia said pleasurably.

"...Mother of my future children, mistress of my conscience, savior of my soul, discipliner of my behavior, keeper of my leash," Han finished.

"Perfect, Han. Hmm, let's see, what should your reward be? I know..." she said as she pulled him into a deep kiss. "That's part of your reward; I'll save the rest of it for later."

"Fine by me, Your Seductiveness, as long as you can pack pretty quickly. I was planning an award of my own for after take off," Han said with a leer.

"Oh, Han, you are so incorrigible!" Leia said.

"And that's why you love me?" Han asked hopefully.

"Yes, Han," Leia sighed, "That is why I love you."


	3. Departure from the Usual

**Chapter 3**

Han and Leia walked up to the Millennium Falcon, Han's pride and joy, and were met by Leia's brother and Han's best friend, Luke Skywalker, who they had commed just about a half-hour before. Chewbacca, Han's other best friend, would have met them at the Falcon as well, but he was spending some well-earned time with his family on Kashyyyk.

"Han, Leia! What're you guys up to?" Luke asked as he pulled his sister into a warm hug. "You just commed me and didn't explain anything. You look like you're in a rush to get somewhere."

"Yeah, Kid, we kinda are. Leia and me are goin' to go on a little vacation for a while; sorta a honeymoon, since we never had one," Han said.

"Oh, that's a great idea, Han! It's about time you guys went on vacation. Force knows how busy you two have been," Luke enthusiastically replied.

"Oh, Luke, I wish we could invite you to come with us...but I have a feeling that you would be distinctly uncomfortable if you came," Leia said.

"No argument from me there. Actually, I wouldn't be able to go if you wanted me to. The Alliance has offered me resources to go on a little trip to search for old Jedi artifacts – things that will help me rebuild the Order," Luke responded.

"That's great Luke!" Leia said as she slipped her arm through Han's. "You'll need to find that information so you can train the future Solo children."

Han glanced at her with a mixed expression. Emotions swirled through his body, ranging from excitement and joy at the thought of having children with Leia, concern at the thought of his future children being trained as Jedi Knights, and nervousness in general. He accepted and believed in the Force (most of the time), but he did not like the danger that Luke and Leia sometimes put themselves through for its cause. It scared him to know that one day his children might have to put themselves in the same danger the three of them put themselves in. Luke ended his apprehension quickly, though.

"Yeah, if they aren't too stubborn to train," Luke responded lightheartedly, eliciting glares from both Leia and Han. It amused Luke to no end that Han and Leia would be so protective of their future children's reputations. "Just kidding, just kidding!" Luke said, "I didn't know that you two were going to be so oversensitive about your non-existent children."

Han and Leia glanced at each other quickly before bursting out in laughter. Luke had to put his arms around their shoulders to keep them from falling on the ground in hysterics. _Well_, Luke thought, _they certainly are made for each other. I don't think anyone else shares their strange sense of humor_.

"Stars, you guys, it wasn't that funny! What're you laughing about anyway?" Luke asked.

"I was just imagining Han as an overprotective father!" Leia breathed out in between bursts of laughter. "It's a funny thought!"

Luke had to chuckle at the thought. Although Han would probably be a very involved parent in reality, the idea of Han, the ex-smuggler and "mercenary" arguing with a instructor about a bad grade or school bully was hilarious, as well as ironic. He didn't know what Han was laughing about, though. "Han, why are you laughing?"

"Well, Leia was laughing, and her laughter is pretty contagious. It actually is pretty funny to think about, though," Han replied.

"Well, you guys, now that you've planned your future children's lives I think it's time for you to go on your honeymoon," Luke said with a Jedi-serious face.

Han and Leia were now in the throes of a laughter fit, only fueled by Luke's serious demeanor. They clutched their sides in an attempt to breathe, which only barely did the job. Luke took it upon himself to end their silliness and send them off.

"Okay you two, if you don't leave now you'll never leave at all. Why don't you just get going and I'll see you in a few weeks, okay?" Luke said.

"Yeah, kid, sounds like a plan," Han said when his booming laughter finally resided. "We'll miss you, though. Nothing like having a full Jedi Knight for backup."

Luke hugged his best friend and brother-in-law and slapped him on the back. "I'll miss you too, Han. Don't miss me _too_ much, though."

"No offense, Luke, but I don't think that'll be too much of a problem," Han said with a lingering side-glance at Leia.

"No offense taken, Han. You'd better take care of my sister, though, or you'll have to answer to the power of the force!" Luke said with a mock-authoritative tone.

"Kid, if I didn't take care of your sister I wouldn't need to answer to the force because I would already be locked up in the loony bin!" Han said playfully.

Leia rolled her eyes at Han's comment before turning to Luke. "Luke, it'll be hard not having you around. We haven't gone separate ways since Endor!"

"I know, Leia. But I don't want you to lose any sleep over it. You and Han go and have a good time, and bring me back a souvenir. Preferably not something illegal," Luke said, directing his gaze at Han.

"Hey, what's the fun in that?" Han exclaimed.

"Well, anyway," Luke said, ignoring Han, "I'll be fine by myself. It'll be a lot quieter, too."

"Well, with him gone, anyway," Leia said, gesturing to Han. She then enveloped Luke in a warm hug, and kissed him on the cheek. "You be a good boy for the Alliance, Luke. Don't get into any trouble or take candy from strangers."

Luke laughed, and gestured for the couple to get going. They walked up the Falcoln's ramp backwards, waving the whole way. Once the hatch closed Luke muttered to himself, "Yep, they'll definitely be good parents."


	4. Sweethearts

**AmandaGrace – **Thank you very much!

Here's an extremely sappy chapter...

**Chapter 4**

Leia woke up the next day to the distinctive smell of the paloquais, her favorite flower. She felt somewhat disoriented at first, wondering if she were still dreaming, but when she opened one eye and saw Han's face about a centimeter from her own she knew that she was awake. She kissed him lightly, and raised one eyebrow when Han produced a bouquet of the beautiful flowers.

"To what do I owe this pleasant surprise? Is it bribery?"

"Well, if you want it to be, sure, but it's actually because I love you. Happy Sweethearts' Day, Leia."

Leia pulled back in shock, and almost crushed the delicate flowers as she clenched her fists.

"S-S-Sweethearts' Day? That's today?"

"Uh...yeah. Didn't you notice all the decorations and sales downtown? I thought women always remembered Sweethearts' Day!"

"No...well, not me at least. When I was growing up I never really celebrated it because I thought it was all an Imperial plot to get consumers to spend tons of credits on sappy and trivial things," Leia said as Han rolled his eyes. "I know better than that now, though. I really wanted to get you something special for Sweethearts' Day, honey. Now I know Sweethearts' Day is really a holiday to show your feelings to the ones you love. It wasn't even a holiday created by Imperials! Can I make it up to you somehow?"

"Hmm...I think I can probably think of _something_. But not yet – I have something special planned for you."

Han left the tiny cabin, leaving Leia alone with her thoughts. She felt terrible that she had forgotten Sweethearts' Day, but she supposed that Han didn't actually care too much, and she _did_ have some things she could give him. He was being so sweet – it was wonderful to know that he cared so much. She couldn't even begin to guess what he had planned for her.

A few minutes later Han walked in with a large tray and set it down gently on her lap. It was filled with delicious looking food, including heart-shaped pastries, assorted fruits, and juice. It also had a small card and another bouquet of the paloquais on the right side. Leia looked up in utter awe of the man who stood before her. She had her whole life to figure him out, but she doubted that even in that time she would completely understand the man who was Han Solo. One minute a bitter mercenary, the next a hopeless romantic. She wondered if all men were as complex as her husband. He sat down on the bed next to her.

"Breakfast in bed for my beautiful wife," he said as he kissed her hand.

"Oh, Han, you're too much! You shouldn't have done anything for me, let alone prepare a feast. Now I'll _really_ have to make it up to you."

"I'm not arguing with that, but just to let you know, this is just the beginning."

"The _beginning_? What else do you have planned, Han?"

"You'll see," he said with a wink.

"Well, at least help me eat this, there's enough here for five people!"

"Maybe five Leias, not five Hans. But no, Leia, that's all for you. You eat that while I go and get the next surprise ready."

He kissed her softly and left, leaving Leia alone with her breakfast. All of the food was decadent, and she had no idea how Han had managed to prepare it. When she was finished she picked up the card and read what her husband had written inside.

_Dear Leia,_

_Happy Sweethearts' Day, Sweetheart! I assume by now you know how much I love you, but in case you didn't already I wanted to let you know. Leia, you mean more to me than you can possibly imagine, more than I can comprehend myself. When our eyes met on the Death Star it was electric, and from the fire our electricity sparked grew a love so powerful it could warm an entire planet. From that day forward you and I were bound to each other, a binding that neither of us was willing to admit to. I sure as Hell am glad that we did admit it though, Leia, because if we hadn't my life would be meaningless. You are my life, my heart, and without you I would be dead inside. Because of you I have discovered the most beautiful emotion in the galaxy. May we have decades of happy Sweethearts' Days from this day forward. I love you._

_Love Always,_

_Han_

Leia clutched the card to her heart and slowly stood up. The love she was feeling for her husband at the moment was overwhelming. She walked out of the cabin and through the corridor and spotted Han working on something in the kitchen. She swiftly walked up and threw her arms around him. He smelled of aftershave, oil, and sweet flowers. Not that she would ever tell him that he smelled like flowers. He turned around, facing her.

"Yes?" He asked simply.

"I love you so much, Han. You are a beautiful man."

"Oh, yeah? How beautiful?"

"Gorgeous."

"Well, I love you too, Leia. You are a beautiful woman," he said, somewhat puzzled.

"Your card was beautifully written. I never knew you could write so well!"

"Neither did I. But Leia, you should be back in bed. I want to make this day special for _you_. I don't need anything special."

"What are you making?"

"Oh, I was just making our dinner."

"Dinner? But Han, you just made me breakfast!"

"I just wanted to have everything prepared in advance so it's perfect."

"Well, you don't have to. Everything is already perfect here with you."

She moved forward and kissed him passionately, leaving no doubt as to where her thoughts lay. After a moment Han pulled away hesitantly, pulling a box out of his vest pocket.

"Well, since you don't seem to need to wait for dinner, I'll give this to you now."

He handed her the box and she opened it, gasping as she saw what was inside. A huge, heart-shaped, sparkling red gem hung on a beautiful woven silver chain. She turned to Han and smiled, and he stepped behind her to fasten it around her neck. He kissed the nape of her neck, and then turned to face her again.

"It's beautiful," Leia breathed.

"You make _it_ beautiful, Leia. Happy Sweethearts' Day."

Leia kissed him again, and he led her to a room that he had prepared in advance. Dozens of fluffy, red pillows were laid before her, and hundreds of unlit candles were arranged throughout the room. Han walked to one of the walls and pressed a button, letting soft music into the room. He pulled out a multi tool and lit all of the candles before going back and taking Leia's hand. She clutched his hand in her own, and followed his lead. They sat down on the pillows, hand in hand.

"I love, you Leia."

"I love you, Han. Happy Sweethearts' Day."

"Happy Sweethearts' Day," he said, and they kissed. They fell back upon the pillows and celebrated their first Sweethearts' Day of many to come.


	5. Mistaken Identity

**Chapter 5**

Their flight to Corellia went without any major problems, and a week after they left Han and Leia arrived on Corellia happier than they had ever been in their lives. As they walked down the main street Leia thought back to Sweethearts' Day on the Falcon, and how amazing her husband was. She couldn't imagine what she would have done with her life had she never acknowledged her love for him. She likely would have buried herself in politics and remained "The Ice Princess" for the rest of her life. She shivered at the thought and clutched her husband close to her. Just like Han had said in his card, it was hard for her to even comprehend the depth of her feelings for him. Their love was so spontaneous and beautiful. She wondered if any other woman in the entire galaxy felt as strongly about her mate as Leia did about hers. She strongly doubted it.

Thinking back to the beginning of the trip, Leia realized that she had felt strange...no, not strange, _different_, during almost the entire flight. She couldn't quite put her finger on the feeling. Deciding to put her newly acquired Jedi skills to use, she reached deep within herself with the Force, and felt a strange, happy glow that was soothing and warm. It reminded her of...Han? What could possibly...? Then it hit her like a ton of durasteel bricks. She was pregnant!

She turned to Han with a look of utter disbelief and excitement. She couldn't tell him about her feeling until she was completely sure, though. She devised a plan that would let her know as soon as possible if her feeling was valid. She quickly covered up her blissful look by contorting her face as if in pain.

"Han," she said with a hoarse whisper, "I'm not feeling very well. I think I should go to a medical station."

"Really, Sweetheart? We just got here, and a minute ago you looked perfectly fine. Happier than I've ever seen you, in fact."

"Well, you know...how some viruses can be...fine one minute...sick another..." Leia wheezed in between "coughs."

Han now looked very worried. He scooped his "sick" wife into his arms and started toward the nearest medical facility...until he realized that he didn't know where one was. He glanced around with extreme nervousness; the city he had once known like the back of his hand (though really, how well had he ever known the back of his hand?) was now a complete mystery to him, derelict buildings he had once known quite well were demolished to create skyscrapers, parks were being put in where bars had once been, and beggars were nowhere to be found. Even in his panicked state he felt sorrow for the poor of Corellia who had doubtlessly been kicked out of their neighborhoods when the Alliance had decided to "clean up" the planet. He would have to speak with Leia about that when she was feeling better. At the thought of Leia's health, he glanced down at his pint-sized wife and saw that her eyes were squeezed shut in pain.

"It'll be okay, Princess. I need to find a doctor, but I'm sure there'll be one around here. This place is swarming with Alliance people," Han said with a kiss to Leia's forehead. He couldn't care less if she was contagious; all he cared about was that she felt safe.

Leia nodded in response, and smiled to herself that Han had thought she was in pain, when really she was just concentrating on trying to not berate Han for picking her up in public when she was perfectly capable of walking. She felt bad for leading him on like this, but, hopefully, the reward would be worth his torment.

Meanwhile, Han had caught the attention of an Alliance construction worker and yelled at him to come over. The Twi-lek looked as if he was reluctant to leave his post, but came over as he saw that the man had what looked to be a sick woman in his arms.

"What's the problem, sir?" The Twi-lek asked.

"My wife's sick, and I need to get her to a medical station. Where's the nearest one?"

"Oh, actually there's not one around here. The closest one is about ten kilometers away."

Han started toward the worker menacingly, eyes blazing with threat. The Twi-lek backed away slowly. "You mean to tell me that there's no med facility nearby? I thought the Alliance prided itself on being as safe and worker-friendly as possible. What would happen if a worker got injured? They'd have to wait for a transport and medical crew! You'd better have a doctor on staff, or I'm going to report you guys to the Senate! I _am_ a general!" Han exclaimed - his face red and breath ragged from his angry outburst.

The Twi-lek's eyes opened wide as he realized that he had a lunatic on his hands. Most likely the woman in the man's arms was someone he had grabbed off the streets and drugged. He had to act quickly, for the safety of the woman and everyone nearby. He grabbed his comlink and spoke into it quickly. "Security, this is Jorb Bolhac at the construction site. It seems we have a situation here. There's a man demanding medical treatment for a woman he says is his wife, but I think she's a hostage. He says he's an Alliance general. I think he's deranged..."

"Wait just one minute! I _am_ a general, this _is_ my wife Leia, and I am _not_ deranged! I just need to see a doctor!" Han cried.

"You see what I'm saying?" the Twi-lek spoke into the comlink. "Try to get here as soon as possible. He looks dangerous."

Though Leia was desperate to find out if she was pregnant, she could not stand this anymore. Her charade was spoiled; she could hardly surprise Han with the news if he was in a jail cell. She had to come clean now, before security arrived. "Han!" she exclaimed, obviously no longer "sick." "Put me down!"

Han looked at his wife, stupefied. "I thought you were sick!"

"Not in the way you think, flyboy. But you need to stop this right now," Leia said, and after Han placed her feet on the ground, she turned to the equally surprised construction worker. "Sir, I'm sorry about my husband. He tends to get overprotective sometimes. You can call off security; this has just been a misunderstanding. Though Han may be crazy, I don't think he's certifiably insane."

"Wait, Ma'am, I thought you were sick! And he said he was an Alliance general! We all know _that's_ not true," Jorb said with a nervous laugh.

"Um...actually that is true. And I really do need medical treatment, but I'm not dying as Han would make you think."

"Wait! You really are sick, and you just pretended to be dying? What's up, Leia? Why'd you go and scare me like that?" Han cried.

"Well, Han, I never really _said_ I was dying, or even implied it. I just said I was sick. I just wanted to get to a medical station without any fuss, but obviously that didn't happen, did it?"

Han looked sheepish. "No. Sorry, Sweetheart. I just kinda freaked out there. I'll take you to medical, even if you aren't telling me what's bothering you."

"Thanks, darling," Leia said as she kissed Han softly.

During the couple's exchange the Twi-lek's eyes grew wide as he realized who these two were. Here he was, a dimwit, calling security on the most famous couple in the Alliance. He cleared his throat and spoke as they directed their attention toward him. "You're General Solo and Princess Leia, aren't you?" he asked timidly.

The two nodded their heads, and Jorb gulped, never before being in the presence of such legendary people. "That's what I thought. I'll call security and tell them it was just a misunderstanding. I'm so, so sorry. Please don't have me fired, I usually don't make mistakes like this."

"Oh, Mr. Bolhac, don't worry about this. Like I said, my husband can be overprotective of my safety. He can be pretty juvenile when he thinks I'm hurt. He should be the one apologizing, not you," Leia said with a glance at Han.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. No hard feelings?" Han asked the worker.

"No, Sir, none at all. I'm just so honored to meet you!"

Han groaned. "Oh, no! No groveling! We're supposed to be on vacation, not a public fawn-fest. Call me Han. My troops never called me Sir, so you shouldn't either."

"Oh, of course...Han. I'll just call off security now and then I can give you two directions to the nearest med facility."

Just as the words left Jorb's mouth, Han was surrounded by a dozen security guards with blaster rifles pointed directly at his chest.


	6. A Series of Misinterpretations

I have 70 chapters of this crazy story written so far (seriously!), so as long as it seems like people are still reading, I'll continue to post.

**SailorLeia – **Thank you so much for your enthusiasm!!! It really inspired me to post another chapter. I hope you continue to enjoy it!

**Chapter 6**

As she saw the deadly weapons pointed at her husband's heart, Leia gasped. She lurched forward in an attempt to protect Han from the assault, but the security guards instinctively held her back. Han stared at the security guards with what appeared to be barely-restrained fury, and attempted to grab and shove the weapons away with his hand. This just made the situation worse as they shoved the weapons closer, making him raise his hands in surrender. He looked distressed and glanced over at his wife; she met his gaze, and knowing her husband well enough to know that he was frightened, sent him comforting thoughts. Suddenly, Jorb spoke.

"Uh...I'm sorry gentlemen, but this has just been one big misunderstanding. This man is not deranged, this is really his wife, and he really is a general. He's Han Solo."

Suddenly the security guards started laughing, but they did not change the position of their rifles. "That's the sorriest story I've ever heard!" one of the guards blurted. "How much did he pay you to tell us that? If he's Han Solo, then I'm the Princess Leia!"

"So you're saying that you're married to him?" Another guard asked jokingly, not noticing the woman fuming silently behind him.

"No..." the first guard said lamely.

They continued joking amongst themselves, ignoring the man they were supposed to be arresting, the small woman standing to the side, and the man who called them there. Leia couldn't stand the fact that these sorry excuses for guards were joking with each other as they had deadly weapons pointed at her husband, even if he did deserve the scare for his previous behavior. Her calm, diplomatic side faded, and her warrior side rose in its place.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" she bellowed with such authority that only a princess could have accomplished it. "YOU RELEASE MY HUSBAND THIS SECOND OR I WILL BE FORCED TO ARREST ALL OF YOU FOR RESISTING AUTHORITY!"

The security guards lowered their weapons just as their jaws lowered. They all turned toward Leia, realization dawning on their faces. They had just captured Han Solo, a general of the galactic ruling body, ignored his wife's protests, who just happened to be the last princess of Alderaan and a senator of the same ruling body, and joked about his capture. They all immediately sank to one knee in respect.

The guard who had spoken first spoke again. "Our humblest apologies, Princess Organa Solo. We did not realize that he was General Solo. We are called about deranged people all the time, and we did not think that this time would be any different. We beg you to bestow mercy upon us as you have bestowed mercy on so many others."

"While I can easily forgive you for your mistakes," Leia stated coolly. "There is no justification for the manner in which you captured my husband. You were joking, as if this were all great fun, while you held potentially deadly blasters at Han's heart. The Alliance does not work this way. We are not the Empire. Criminals are treated fairly in our government, with utmost respect to their feelings, even if they are accused of committing a heinous crime. We do not joke about such serious matters. And yet, here you were, ignoring Han's distress, ignoring my attempts to intervene, and refusing to listen to the very man who called you here. You may think that I am going to fire you, but even if it were in my authority to do so, I would not. Your job is to heed my advice, and pass on what I have told you about the Alliance. I have only one request," Leia added with a smile. "I would like you to escort my husband and I to the nearest medical facility."

At the medical center, Leia was quickly located with Han in a private room where a female doctor was examining her. She supposed that the speediness was due to the security guards pulling a few strings (or merely mentioning her name), but she did not mind. It was funny how the possibility of pregnancy muddled her principles.

"Well, it seems as if you are perfectly fine; no lacerations, no sickness, no infection. I don't understand what the problem was," the doctor stated primly.

Not wishing Han to hear before she was sure, Leia whispered her "problem" into the doctor's ear.

"Oh...oh, I see," the doctor said before turning to Han. "Mr. Solo, I'm going to have to take your wife into the side room over here. We'll be out in just a second."

Han nodded his head, so the doctor led Leia into the tiny side room filled with all sorts of medical equipment. The doctor pulled open a drawer, which contained syringe-like objects, excluding the needles.

"I will just place this lyproscobe on your belly and the indicator will tell me whether you are pregnant or not. It is completely accurate. The 'scobe is able to pick up on subtle changes in the body that the woman may not have even noticed yet."

The doctor placed the lyproscobe on Leia's belly, and almost immediately the indicator light turned red. Leia's heart fell. Red, no matter what planet you were on, was the indicator for negative. She had been almost certain that she was pregnant; she thought that she had felt the baby's presence. It must have been her over-active imagination. Well Leia, she thought, you can always keep on trying. She and Han wanted to have many children, and she knew that there would be ample opportunity to get what they wished. Still, she had thought...well, it didn't matter what she had thought. The proof was right there before her eyes.

Leia turned toward the doctor, who, for some reason, had not taken the lyproscobe off of Leia's stomach yet. Leia stared quizzically at her, and the doctor seemed to notice her questioning glance.

"When the 'scobe begins to work the light shows up red," the doctor stated. "If it begins to pick up any signs of pregnancy it will begin to flash, and when it has made its final diagnosis it will flash either green, meaning you're pregnant, or blue, meaning that you are not."

After hearing this, Leia positively glowed with relief. There was still a chance! Her heart began to beat frantically as she saw the indicator light begin to flash slowly, with increasing tempo. When she saw the final light flash, she stopped breathing. It was green! She was pregnant! She and Han were going to have a baby!

"Well congratulations, Mrs. Solo," the doctor said with a heartfelt smile. "You're going to be a mommy."


	7. Announcement

Thanks for the replies!

**Sweetdeath04** – Thank you so much! I'll be sure to update more frequently from now on.

**SoloKenobi** – Yup, 70 chapters. I'm very glad you like it!

**SailorLeia** – Wow, I'm glad you love it so much! Thank you! I have all of that good stuff coming up in the next chapter.

**Chapter 7**

Leia exited the side room positively radiant with joy. Han eyed her quizzically, wondering what could possibly have made her so happy.

"I'll leave the two of you alone. You can leave as soon as you're ready, I just have to file your papers," the doctor said, and Leia thought that she saw the doctor wink slyly in her direction.

Leia sidled up to her dashing husband, and smiled beautifully as she saw the confused look on his face. He was so cute when he was confused! She was about to sit on the chair next to Han, but instead opted to sit on his lap.

"Han, darling," Leia started with maternal bliss. "I have something to tell you that will change our lives forever."

Han looked into her eyes, and she thought that he looked even more confused, if possible, than before. She wrapped her slender arms around his muscular chest and kissed him softly before pulling back and placing her hands on his shoulders. She looked lovingly into his perplexed eyes, and told him the two words that would govern the rest of his life.

"I'm pregnant."

Han's face rapidly morphed from confusion to utter astonishment and shock. Leia thought that at that moment she could have knocked him over with a feather. He looked away, as if looking to see if there was some other woman telling some other husband those words nearby, and that he had just thought it was Leia expressing them. He turned back to Leia, who looked absolutely euphoric, and knew that it was _his_ wife telling him that she was pregnant.

"You...you're...I'm gonna be a father?" Han stuttered.

"Yes, Han, you're going to be a father, and I'm going to be a mother. We're going to be parents!"

Han sat gawking at her for what seemed like hours before standing up and twirling his petite wife around, showering her with kisses. He kissed her neck, eyes, and cheekbones before finally taking her lips with his own in a passionate kiss. Leia leaned into the kiss, wishing that they were in a more private room.

Han pulled away from the kiss, eyes shining, and bore his gaze into the woman who had pledged her love to him. His mate, the woman pregnant with his child.

"We're going to be parents!" Han declared, more confident than before. He leaned his forehead against hers. "I love you."

"I know," Leia said before leaning up for another kiss. Han met her halfway, promising his love and devotion for years to come.

When they were finished, Leia pulled back with a mischievous look in her eyes. "Hey, hotshot, why don't we head to the hotel? This hospital isn't very private."

"Um...well...I didn't exactly book us a hotel. I just figured..."

"Han! You didn't book us a hotel? What, did you think we were going to sleep in the street?"

Han looked at her with a look of pure innocence, and Leia glared at him, hands on hips. She fumed silently, and Han suddenly started laughing.

"Got ya!"

"Han Solo! How dare you tease me like that?" Leia cried, and if Han had known her less he would have thought that she really was upset. He knew, however, that she was just bantering playfully.

"Well, as a great person once said, it's because I'm a scoundrel."

"I think those words were taken out of context," Leia said and kissed him quickly before pulling him out of the room.

"You'd better have gotten us a good room, flyboy, or I might not forgive your antics," Leia said as she pulled him through the hospital hallways. Her behavior belied her statement, however. She looked, as usual, as if she was going to tackle him in the hallway.

"Yes, dear. I actually got us an excellent room, I think."

"You think? What, you didn't do any research?" Leia asked, incredulous.

"No. I mean, I used to live here, so I know where the good hotels used to be. I just assumed that they were still good."

"Han, why do I feel like this is a good time to say 'I have a bad feeling about this?'"

"Well, Sweetheart, because it _is_ a perfectly good time to say it."

"Okay, then, I'll say it: I have a bad feeling about this."


	8. Changes

**Chapter 8**

Han began to lead Leia through Corellia, and though he would never admit this to her, he was beginning to think that he was lost. At first he had walked swiftly, almost at a jog, his ecstasy at the knowledge that he was going to be a father and his desire to be alone with Leia heightening his pace. As he walked through the streets he used to hear about so often and dream about living in, however, his pace slowed to an amble. He looked around himself curiously, seeing buildings that were once magnificent and prestigious in a state of dismal disrepair and neglect. His adult mind told him that he was in the correct place, but the child within him screamed that he was wrong. Was this really where he was supposed to be? He remembered coming to these streets as a child and staring at them for hours, hoping that one-day he would be rich enough to live there. It was funny that he had spent most of his life yearning for wealth, and when he finally obtained it, he couldn't care less. Leia, and now the baby, were evidence enough that he did not need riches to be happy, but it was still hard for the little boy within him to know that he would never stay in those splendid buildings he had yearned for. All of the Corellia he had known - both the downtrodden streets he had grown up in and the prosperous neighborhood he had dreamed about – had vanished forever. He looked down to his wife and saw that she was gazing at him intently. His eyes must have shown his despair, because she tenderly brushed his cheek with the back of her hand and clutched him to herself.

"Oh, Han," she sighed, "This is where we are supposed to stay, isn't it?"

"I'm so sorry, Leia. These streets used to be so beautiful they rivaled New Alderaan. I just...assumed...that they would have stayed that way. I'm so sorry I ruined your vacation."

"Han, you could never ruin my vacation! I think it was because of the will of the Force that we went on this vacation. I'm pregnant because of this vacation! And I wouldn't begrudge any time alone with you no matter what the circumstances."

"I know, Sweetheart, but it just seems that every time I try to do something nice for you, it goes wrong. I wanted to take you to a beautiful resort, away from the government. And I took you to a place of poverty and filth. My job as a husband is to make you happy and comfortable, and I couldn't even succeed in that," Han said dejectedly.

"Han, your only job as a husband is to love me. And to stay faithful, of course," she added with a grin.

"Like I'd have a hard time with that!" Han said, sorrow leaving him. He clutched Leia to his chest and buried his face in her hair, breathing her scent. "Man, Leia, you always know how to cheer me up. How d'ya do it?"

"That's easy. It's my job as your wife to cheer you up."

"I thought that your only job was to love me and stay faithful!"

"That too. Han, why don't we go to the hotel that we were supposed to stay at? You know, appearances can be deceiving. Maybe it's really nice inside," Leia said optimistically.

"Okay, but I don't want you to get your hopes up. I doubt that it's up to par with your expectations."

"That's fine, honey. I don't need posh amenities anyway. I think that it would actually be interesting to stay in a place that didn't house uptight and snobbish people."

Han and Leia walked toward the building he had pointed out as being their hotel, and they were almost there when they heard a quiet, yet insistent voice calling out to them.

"Mister, Missus, can you please lend me a credit? I am so hungry," said the tiny voice, and both husband and wife jerked their heads in the direction it was coming from. A little boy of about seven years stood before them, in clothing Leia would not have used as rags, and scruffy brown hair that fell down to his shoulders.

His eyes were large and bright blue, almost disconcerting, and they were full of a pain that should not have been present at his age. Han and Leia gazed at each other, both with eyes full of sorrow for the young soul they had come across. Leia's despair came from her compassion for all beings, especially the downtrodden. Her new role as mother only heightened her feelings. Han's despair came from the fact that he saw himself, about twenty-five years ago, in the same position this little boy was in. He knew exactly how the boy felt, and no words could describe the pain.

"What's your name, son?" Han asked kindly.

The little boy looked confused, as if he had never been asked this question before. Han's heart wrenched as he realized that this was probably true. If anybody had shown him compassion as a child it was merely through the toss of a credit, without a word spoken.

"It's Ty. Ty Glenner."

"Where are your parents, Ty?" Leia asked.

Ty looked at his feet with embarrassment. "I don't have any. Well, not anymore. Mama and Papa died when I was real little."

Leia looked shocked at this, and her hand went to her belly, as if wanting to protect this fate from her child. Han, however, looked unaffected by this revelation. He continued staring at the child as if he were seeing a ghost. Seeing as how her husband was standing so fixedly, Leia took the initiative to speak.

"Would you like to stay with us, Ty? We're staying at that hotel over there, and you can stay with us until we find you somewhere nice to live. We can get you some tasty food, too. Would you like that?" Leia asked.

Ty nodded his head emphatically.

Han was happy that Leia had offered this to the boy. Under any other circumstances he would have been furious at Leia for ruining their privacy, especially after they had been anticipating plenty of alone time, but now he was determined to make a better life for Ty. He wanted to find a permanent home for him, a home that he hadn't had until he married Leia. He wanted Ty to have the same quality of life that he would wish upon his and Leia's own child.

As they walked toward the three-story high, gray, dilapidated hotel, Han and Leia introduced themselves to Ty. He didn't seem to recognize their names, which they thought of as a good thing, and the three of them entered the building together.


	9. Checking In

**SailorLeia – **Thank you so much! Your enthusiasm is exciting! Ty will be a main character in the story for a while (then he will become secondary), so it's good you like him. Here's a new update…

**Sweetdeath04** – Thank you! I'm so glad you're enjoying it. I don't think I ever read Paradise Snare, so that's really interesting that Ty is similar to Han. Maybe some fan fiction relating to that book has rubbed off on me.

**Chapter 9**

As they entered the hotel, they were greeted by a stench unequaled by any they had encountered in all of their travels.

"What is that _smell_?" Han asked, wrinkling his nose.

The Hutt at the front counter chuckled slightly at Han's remark and replied, "Oh, do you like my new deodorant?"

"Um, you weren't a good friend of Jabba, were you?" Leia asked worriedly.

"That overgrown ball of slime? No way! His tactics were always too brutal for me. So, do you have a reservation or are you just wasting my time?" the Hutt replied.

"Nice service here, huh?" Han whispered into Leia's ear.

Leia squeezed Han's hand in response to his jibe, and tried to hold back a smile. "Yes sir, we do have a reservation. It should be under Solo. Our reservation was for two originally, but now we have three."

The Hutt turned his hover chair slightly to the left in order to access the reservation files. The number of files was extremely small, probably due to the fact that the hotel was hardly in an ideal part of Corellia.

"Let's see…I have a reservation for a Han and Leia Solo, is that you?"

"Yeah, that's us. Can you change our room to a suite, so this little tyke doesn't have to be stuck with us?" Han asked.

"Maybe. It'll cost you, though. How much are you willing to pay for your precious privacy?"

"We don't care about the cost. We just want to upgrade our room," Leia replied.

"The price is tripled, then."

"Wait just one minute!" Han shouted furiously, oblivious to Leia's indications that he should behave for Ty's sake. "Don't think I'll stand for that! I don't know who you think you are but…"

Leia cut off Han by placing her tiny hand over his mouth. "Forgive my husband, he's a little eccentric. We'll pay for the upgrade, but only if you can promise us that we won't have any disturbances during our stay."

The Hutt looked at her, swishing his slimy tail, and chuckled again. "You have my promise. Here's your room key. It's on the third floor, room 45. Enjoy your stay. Oh, and please control your husband during your stay here, I'm a very delicate creature."

Han looked at both the Hutt and his wife, dumbfounded, and wondered where his intimidating stance and menacing glare had gone. It usually had beings quivering before him within seconds. He supposed that this quality had disappeared about the time he married Leia, seeing as how he was never able to go very far with his threats with her standing there shushing him all the time.

Leia had grabbed the key and little Ty's hand and was already leading him to the turbolift. Han followed, and decided that he would talk to Leia later about her control issues. Maybe. If she was in a good mood.

As the turbolift came to a rickety halt they stepped off into a hallway that smelled of mildew and the body odors of various galactic scum. There were three doors, and all of them looked to be of poor quality. The one to the right was room 45, and Leia inserted the old-fashioned key into the lock and the door slid open. They entered a suite that was probably one-eighth the size of the one they lived in on New Alderaan, with a ragged couch and century-old holovision in one corner and a single bed to the left with a tattered, faded, blue curtain sectioning off the two "rooms." There was a small refresher unit next to the bedroom, which Leia eyed with interest. Suddenly she bolted toward the 'fresher, and Han looked over to Ty with a grin on his face.

"It's started, kid"

Ty looked up at Han with widened eyes, "What's started, sir?"

"She's starting to get morning sickness."

"What's morning sickness?"

"Um, well, when a woman is going to have a baby she gets sick sometimes. Sometimes it's in the morning and sometimes it's in the afternoon or night or something," Han said, looking somewhat confused.

"She's going to have a baby? Are you going to be a daddy?"

"Yup. I am, Kid. I just found out a coupla' hours ago. It's gonna be interesting to have a little baby around."

"Well, that's good, sir. I think you'll be a good daddy. You are really nice to me," Ty said earnestly.

"Thanks, kid. By the way, you can call me Han. I don't like anyone calling me sir."

"Oh, sure, um, Han. So, why are you so nice to me? Are you with the new government? That's good if you are, I hated the Empire."

"Yeah. My wife and I fought in the Rebellion. Well, she did mostly - I just kinda hung around," he said, attempting to downplay his performance in the war to keep the boy from practically worshipping him. "We're actually on vacation right now, but we wanted to help you out," Han kneeled down so that he was eyelevel with the boy. "I used to be just like you when I was your age. My parents died when I was little, and I had to live on the streets as a kid. Would you like it if Leia and I looked for a home for you, and some really nice people to stay with?"

"Would you really do that?"

"Of course! Anything to help a little buddy."

"Well, then I would like that very much. Thank you…friend."

"You're welcome," Han said, and then heard water flushing. "Let's go see how Leia's doing now."


	10. Hormones

**SailorLeia** – Thank you!

**Sweetdeath04 **– I'm glad you like Ty! Thanks!

**Bail's Other Daughter** – Thank you! I'm glad that you're enjoying it. The issue of Ty's adoption will be addressed later in the story.

**Chapter 10**

Han walked the couple of meters that it took to get across the suite and peeked his head in the refresher door to see how Leia was feeling, while Ty waited just outside.

"Hey, Sweetheart, how are ya holding up?"

"How could you do this to me? I feel terrible!" Leia mumbled, and even though she was in pain she managed to fix Han with a glare.

Han was dumbfounded by the sudden change in his wife's demeanor. Just a few minutes ago she was bubbly and overjoyed at the thought of having a baby, and now she was mad at him? _Oh, man_, he thought. _I forgot about the hormones. This is going to be a long nine months._ A hormonal Leia was scarier to him than any terrifying beast he had ever encountered. He had to tread lightly on this issue. _Okay, Solo, be gentle, no sarcastic comments, no sarcastic comments…"_

"Well, Leia, it seems as if you should shoulder at least half of the blame. Maybe more, since you knew perfectly well what that little number you have does to me." _Uh oh, Solo, that's treading too close to sarcasm, turn back, turn back!_

"Oh, really?" Leia asked, her energy returning full board. She stood and tilted her head up to pierce her husband with a withering look. "So, Mr. Hotpants, would you like to be vomiting your lungs out in a cruddy motel as your stomach turns inside out? Do you want to get headaches, and feet aches, and every sort of ache in between? Do you want to go through childbirth, which is supposed to be the most painful thing in the universe?"

"Well, sure I would, Leia, if it means that you don't have to be in pain," Han tried with his best sensitive husband look, turning as far away from sarcasm as possible. He didn't expect it to do much; usually Leia just ignored it and went on with her tirade, but what he saw was almost unbelievable.

Leia's eyes glazed over, and she covered them with her hands as tears began streaming down her face. "I'm so sorry, Han. I'm such a bad wife. I'm so happy to be having this baby with you, but I just go and yell at you at the first opportunity. I don't deserve you."

Han was even more shocked than before. Here was his wife, Leia Organa Solo, no-nonsense diplomat and fighter, weeping over such a petty thing. He had hardly ever seen her cry, even in the toughest of times, and now she was crying over her miniscule flash of anger. He supposed that what they said about pregnant women and mood swings really was true. He decided that he should ignore his shock, however, and comfort his wife. He stepped forward and wrapped her in his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"Oh, Sweetheart, don't ever say that. I couldn't ask for a better wife than you. I love you, and I don't care if you take out your mood swings on me once in a while."

"_Mood swings?_" Leia asked incredulously as she stepped back, hands on hips. "What do you mean mood swings? Why would I get mood swings the same time I get morning sickness?"

"I dunno. The Force can be cruel sometimes. Unless there's someone out there who was too lazy to make you have the symptoms of pregnancy at two different times so they just conglomerated them together," he added with a grin.

"Yeah, like that is what it is," Leia responded with a roll of her eyes.

Han moved forward to try to kiss her, but she pulled away.

"What?" Han asked.

"Do you really want to kiss me right now? How about I brush my teeth first?"

"Oh, sure. I'll go put the kid to bed. See you in a minute," he said with a wink.

Han went into the "living room" to try to set up the couch for Ty, but he saw that Ty was already asleep. His heart went out to the poor little boy, and he grabbed a warm blanket to drape over him. He hoped fervently that they would be able to find a permanent home for him in the near future.

Han looked once more at the boy who lived the life he once had, and stepped through the curtain into his and Leia's bedroom.


	11. Revelations

**Chapter 11**

Leia was standing in front of the bed, waiting, when Han entered the room. She gave Han a soft kiss and sat down on the surprisingly soft mattress, motioning for Han to join her. She wanted to talk to Han about the past that he was always trying to escape, which had finally caught up with him unintentionally.

Han sat down on the bed and put his arm around her. She curled up beside him and put her head against his shoulder.

"Han, I'm proud of you for wanting to give Ty a better life. But why do I have a feeling that you have different reasons for wanting to help him than I do?" Leia asked.

"Well, it's because I do, Leia."

"Can you tell me about it, Han? You've never really told about your past beyond the basics. Did you grow up like Ty? You can tell me anything, you know."

"I know. I guess with the baby coming now I should tell you what I was like as a kid, huh?" Han said. "Yeah, I was just like Ty when I was little. My parents died when I was about five, and they had chosen my aunt and uncle to raise me, but they didn't want the responsibility of a child. Instead of taking me to an adoption agency or finding someone who was willing to take care of me, they put me out on the streets. I survived by begging for money or food or sometimes stealing. Those were the worst years of my life. Nobody ever tried to help me out, so I was forced to harden my emotions and go against everything my parents had taught me about morality. I wasn't lying to you last week when I told you that I had morals when I was growing up. I used to feel very strongly about caring for people and doing the right thing, but the longer I lived like that the less I believed in my own morals. I mean, how can a kid still believe that he should be good when it got him nowhere? So the longer I stayed in the streets, the easier it became for me to steal and break the law. It filled my stomach and gave me excitement, so my previous way of thinking slowly faded away. That's how I got into smuggling. When I smuggled it was almost the same as what I did in the streets, 'cept I was getting paid. I wanted to be as far away from the streets as I could, so I always tried to cash in big. That's the way I thought 'til you and Luke showed me what I had been missing. And Chewie too, of course. He was my first friend," Han said thoughtfully. He turned and saw that his wife's jaw had gone slack, and her eyes were the size of asteroids.

"You can see why I want to help out Ty now, huh? I don't want him to end up cynical like I was and get into smuggling or something like that. All I wanted as a kid was for someone to care for me, and a place to call home, and I can help Ty get that. The little street-rat in me wouldn't ever let me hear the end of it if I didn't try to help him out."

Leia looked up at him; shocked at the fact that he was admitting this all to her, and at the horrible experiences he had as a child. She supposed that he had never told this to anyone before, even Chewie. It was touching that her husband was able to confide in her like this. It explained so much about the way he had acted when they first met. His confession made her feel guilty for all the horrible things she had said to him in those first few years, even though the heated words had gone both ways. That was the past, though, and this was the present.

"Sweetie, I love you so much. This is exactly why I fell in love with you in the first place. Underneath all that cynicism and brashness you had a beautiful heart. I don't know what I would have done if you had never shown it to me. Our children will be very lucky to have you as their father."

"Children?"

"Yes, dear. You do want to have more, don't you?"

"Of course! Tons. I just thought maybe you meant you were having twins or something like that."

"No, not this time at least. Though twins do tend to run in families," she said with a wink, seeing him cringe at the mere mention of it.

"I don't think I'd be able to handle two of your babies at once," Han said. "They'd just be screaming at me all the time, and my brain would explode."

"My babies?" Leia asked incredulously. "I think you should be more worried about your side of the gene pool, flyboy. Anyway, I don't see how your brain could explode when you're lacking one in the first place."

"Why is it always me?" Han asked, with hands spread out and eyes turned upward. "I'm always the one tortured, beaten, frozen, shot at, and henpecked, yet I'm still the source of every joke!" He then folded his arms and pouted slightly.

"It's just so fun to tease you darlin'." Leia responded, laughing. "And I know for a fact that you enjoy it."

"Well, maybe…sometimes. Just a little."

"No, you enjoy it a lot," Leia said, and then kissed him to convince him of her point.

"I dunno, I still think I only enjoy it a little."

"How about now?" Leia asked with another kiss.

"Well, maybe a little bit more, but I still don't enjoy it a lot."

"And now?" Leia asked with yet another kiss.

"Well, I'm starting to enjoy it, but I'm going to need a lot of convincing to enjoy it a lot."

"I _am_ a Senator, dearest. Convincing people is my job," Leia said, and gave Han a passionate kiss that could convince him of anything.


	12. Arriving at Corellia Land

This chapter (and a few of the following ones) is dedicated to my parents and their obsession with Disneyland, which is where I'll be for the next week.

**Chapter 12**

The next morning Leia and Han decided to give Ty the best day of his life. First they would buy him some new clothes and get him cleaned up, and then they were going to go to Corellia Land, the hottest theme park on the planet. After they gave Ty a bath and Leia had bought some new clothes for him (as Han refused to go shopping) they rented a hover car, and Han took the clean, handsome boy for a joyride. The whole matter was very interesting as Ty had never been in a hover car before, and Han drove like a maniac. Ty's peals of laughter mixed with screams of terror were loud enough to reach every creature on Corellia. Finally Leia had to intervene with Han's wild antics as she thought the poor boy would explode from too much excitement. Not that going to an amusement park would help matters any, but…well the truth was that she was just getting sick of driving around and she wanted to go to Corellia Land.

They drove to the 100-kilometer wide amusement park, and as rides became visible all of their eyes lit up. Ty gasped as he saw the gigantic Galactic Dome, a high-speed ride that took patrons on a realistic hyperspace flight around the galaxy. This was the newest addition to the park, and the latest holo technology was used to create images of the planets, stars, and trips through hyperspace. Other visible rides were Protocol Droid's Daring Journey, Mr. Toydarian's Wild Flight, and It's a Small Planet. They flew into the parking structure, an immense tower that held millions of hover cars. Even this mammoth structure was packed, and Han had to squeeze between two cars in a feat rivaling the best stunts of the century. They rode down the turbo lift and as they came to the front entrance of the park Ty (and Leia and Han) was literally jumping for joy. They paid an exorbitant amount of credits as the entrance fee, and Leia's pack was searched, while strangely Han and Ty remained unchecked. Leia hardly noticed this injustice, however, as she saw the magical scene that lay before her. There was an old fashioned street with antique-looking shops on either side of it, and at the end of the street there was a beautiful garden that led up to an Alderaani-style castle that looked almost exactly like the one she used to live in. It was pure white with peaked towers and handcrafted wooden drawbridges. She couldn't believe she was seeing this, on Corellia of all places! The sight should have upset her, but it did exactly the opposite. This really was the most magical place in the galaxy! She grabbed hold of Han's hand and started running, running back quickly to grab Ty's hand as well, and headed toward the castle.

Upon reaching the castle they saw Bernie Bantha, the park's mascot. Leia tore her gaze from the beautiful castle and ran toward the character. She looked like a little girl with her cheeks flushed to a bright pink and her hair in two braids hanging down her back. She jumped up and down in excitement as she waited in line to get the mascot's autograph, drawing confused looks from the parents of the children waiting in front of her. When she got to the front of the line she threw her arms around Bernie, saying, "Oh, I've wanted to meet you all my life! Ever since I was a little girl on Alderaan I've looked up to you!"

After she got her vaunted autograph Han put his hand on her shoulder and stooped down to whisper in her ear. "Sweetheart, you do know that he's not really Bernie Bantha, right?" When she just looked at him blankly he continued, "You know he's just a guy in a Bantha suit, not a real bantha, of course."

"Oh, yeah, sure. Of course I know he's not really Bernie Bantha. I've known that forever," Leia responded with a look that did not entirely convince Han.

"Well, anyway…why don't we just go see the castle?"

"Oh, yes!" Leia said as she ran toward the castle.

Han watched her go and turned to Ty. "Sorry 'bout her, Ty, but I have a feeling she's never been here before. She's sure been running a lot since we got here. You'll have a great time, I promise. We just have to let Leia run around for awhile and make sure she doesn't have any sugar."

"Sure, Han. Don't worry about me; I'm really happy. Yesterday I was starving on the streets; today I'm at Corellia Land. Thank you so much for everything you've done for me."

"Well, Kid, I couldn't imagine _not_ doing what we did for you. You're a great kid. Hey, why don't we get Leia and go over to Space Tours? It's a new ride based on the war. I want to see how accurate it is."

"That sounds great, Han! Let's go get Leia."


	13. An Eerily Familiar Ride

**A/N:** Some of the dialogue may be a little different from the ride, but hey, it's Corellia Land, not Disneyland. ;)

Thank you so much for your reviews**Sailorleia**, **SoloKenobi**, **Sweetdeath04**, and Marguerite Krux!

**Chapter 13**

They pried Leia away from her position staring at the castle walls (she was rather scary when she was over-excited) and headed over to Modernland, a section of the park devoted to the newest technologies and trends. They entered the ride and the first thing they saw was a protocol droid that looked exactly like See-Threepio. The gray walkway wound around a viewing room with a mechanical replica of Admiral Ackbar, a stationed ship with a droid that looked exactly like Artoo, and a mechanic's bay where one droid was fixing another busted droid. The eerily familiar entryway to the ride ended where two humans stood, asking patrons how many guests were in their party. After Leia answered, another human directed the three to an area in front of a holovison where they waited for several more minutes before the picture of a woman appeared. She had dark skin and her hair was braided into an elaborate style on the side of her head.

"Poser," Leia mumbled.

The woman on the screen began talking, "Welcome to Galactic Tour's flight to Endor. Before we begin our flight there are a few things you need to know."

The screen flashed to the inside of the ship, which looked like a holofilm theater. There were beings of every race from around the galaxy, but the most familiar faces were Admiral Ackbar and…Chewie? What was Chewie doing in this film?

Han and Leia looked at each other in shock then re-directed their gazes to the screen.

The woman then began explaining flight procedures to the guests. "When you enter the ship please slide to the end of the row in order to accommodate all passengers. Stow any carry-on items beneath your seat. Once seated, take the buckle from your right and snap it into the console on your left. When the ship has landed you may then unfasten your safety restraints. Remember, no eating or drinking during the flight, and please no flash pictures."

They then showed a patron taking a "flash picture," and Chewbacca growled and covered his eyes with his arms, and Ackbar made a movement with his arm as if he were going to smack the offender. The voice finished its speech with, "Enjoy your flight."

The pre-flight movie flashed to the image of a hangar bay, and Leia turned to Han.

"You never told me that Chewie went into the holofilm industry!"

"I never knew," he replied in a bewildered tone.

Soon the doors opened and they walked down to the end of their row. Leia put her pack under her seat, and they all sat down. Once everyone was seated a screen turned on and the image made Han jump.

"Hello, I am See-Threepio, human cyborg relations and welcome aboard the Endor Express. They are currently loading your pilot, and then you'll be ready for takeoff." He then repeated the woman's main instructions for the flight procedure.

"Threepio!" Han said in exasperation. "I can never get away from that piece of scrap metal!"

"How did he get on this film? Last I knew he was back on New Alderaan," Leia said.

"It's as if everyone except us and Luke is in this film. It's crazy."

Threepio's image disappeared, replaced with the head of another droid.

"He-hi there! This Rex, your captain, speaking. I see that we're almost ready, so I'll go ahead and open the cockpit shield."

The cockpit shield opened, and the same droid appeared. "He-Hi there and welcome aboard the Endor Express! I know that it's probably your first flight, and it's…_mine_ too, he he. Well, I see that they're loading our navigator Artoo-Detoo, and soon we'll be on our way. So sit down, relax, and enjoy the flight."

"Endor express, you are cleared for launch," intoned a mechanical voice.

"Roger that, Space Command, all status go," said Rex.

The droid then clumsily piloted the ship through the hangar, and narrowly missed hitting several machines before escaping into space.

"Well, I uh…meant to do that. Little short-cut, he he."

"That droid is _really_ starting to get on my nerves," Han whispered to Leia.

"I know. He's worse than Threepio," Leia replied.

"Okay, everyone get ready back there. Light speed to Endor!" The droid said before the ship burst into hyperspace for about ten seconds.

"What was that? You can't get anywhere if you only go light speed for that long!" Han stated in disgust.

"Han, darling, it's only a ride. Cool your thrusters."

Han appeared to be anything but calm as the ride continued, and the transport met up a flurry of comets.

"They totally stole that from my maneuver in the asteroid field!"

Everyone in the audience turned and shushed him, quieting him down for the moment.

The ship then met up with several Star Destroyers and "helped" destroy the first Death Star. The droid pulled the transport back into hyperspace and came out just before the landing pad, shouting "brakes!" Once the ship came to a halt the cockpit shield started closing and the droid said, "Well, sorry about that folks, but it _was_ my first flight and I'm still getting used to my programming! Hey, wait!"

They stepped off the ride; Leia and Ty were excited and wanted to go on it again. Han, on the other hand, was fuming to himself, saying, "why didn't they ask _me_ to be in the movie?"


	14. Toys, toys, toys!

**SailorLeia – **Thank you! I'm glad you're still enjoying it!

**SoloKenobi** – I always talk during the ride too (by saying all the words along with Rex), and I'm sure I've annoyed my share of people. It would have been _beautiful_ if Han had been part of the ride.

**Sweetdeath04** – I'm glad you love it!

**Chapter 14**

After they walked down the ride's ramp they were conveniently met by a room full of "wartime memorabilia." Shelves were stacked high with packaged toys done in the likeness of various war heroes, including figures of Luke, Han, and Leia.

"Hey, Leia, it's us!" Han shouted in joy, anger at being left out of the movie long forgotten. He ran over like a little boy toward the boxes of action figures. "Look! There are different sets, like a Bespin one, and an Endor one, and a Hoth one, and a Yavin one…"

"Calm down, Han. If you're a bad boy you won't get a treat later."

Han ignored her and grabbed all the sets visible. He began making comments like "ooh, this Leia one is pretty hot," and "so that's what the slave costume looked like!" When he saw the Falcon he almost had a heart attack. He grabbed it and began making "flying" noises. Leia rolled her eyes.

"I guess it won't be too hard to get the hang of being a mother since I already have a child," she commented.

"Like I didn't see you earlier with 'Bernie the Bantha,'" he retorted.

"True," was all she could say in response.

Leia walked up to the play sets and looked at them with a diplomat's eye. "They are actually pretty good likenesses. How in the stars did they know what my Bespin outfit looked like? I only wore it for a little while."

"Maybe Lando marketed them. Last I heard he was going into the toy business."

"I have a hard time believing that!"

"Well, there are billions of kids in the galaxy and most seem to enjoy toys, so I guess it's pretty profitable, right Ty?" Han asked, turning to the little boy.

"Uh, I wouldn't know. I've never had a toy," Ty said sheepishly.

"Well, why don't you pick out some?"

"Oh, no, sir! I don't need any toys. I don't know what to do with them!"

"You play with them, Kid. And don't worry about the credits; it's no problem. Leia is a _princess_, you know."

"She's a princess? A real live princess? Like in fairy tales?" Ty asked, looking positively star-struck.

"Yeah, didn't I mention that before?"

"No, sir…Han, I would have remembered _that_!

"Well, she is. A princess of Alderaan. Don't treat her like a princess, though - that's her pet peeve. Just treat her like you'd treat any other adult," Han said seriously, wary of his wife's fluctuating mood.

"Sure. Wait…she's _Princess Leia_? One of the leaders of the Rebellion that destroyed the Empire?"

"Yeah, there's no other Princess Leias that I can think of."

"And you're married to her?"

"Last I checked our marriage license I was."

"Wow, that's amazing. I can't believe I've been with Princess Leia the whole time. I've always admired her, since I was really little. My parents were," he paused as he looked away. "My parents were killed by stormtroopers for not being able to pay their taxes. I would have been killed too if my parents hadn't made me hide. Sometimes I wish I had been killed," he said, a tear rolling down his cheek. "From that moment on I prayed that the Rebellion would win the war. I hated the Empire so much."

Han moved forward and enfolded Ty in a warm hug. Ty leaned into him, amazed at how wonderful it felt to have another person comforting him. Leia walked up to them, about to ask Ty which toy he wanted, but stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the two hugging. She met Han's eyes and could feel the happiness he felt for making a difference in the little boy's life. It was a happiness that she shared.

A few moments later she walked up to them and suggested that Ty choose the toys he wanted so they could go on another ride. Ty decided to get the Endor play set that came with Han and Leia figures, and Leia gladly paid for it. They walked to a nearby ride; a film that boasted of a "3-D experience," called Captain G-O. The ride had been changed several times but held the same concept. Captain G-O had been the original ride.

Inside, each of them were handed paper glasses with one red lens and one blue lens. Better technology could have been easily used, but because they were going to watch the original film, the original 3-D technology was used.

Once inside they put on their 3-D glasses and sat down to watch the film. Once the film started a barrage of dancers met them, with the main one a dark-skinned man who was presumably Captain G-O. He was by far the best dancer. The dancers met up with some evil characters, the main one a cat-like woman with fingernails that stretched out into the audience. Or at least that was what it felt like to audience members. The evil cat-like woman wanted to kill Captain G-O, but he entranced her with his dance moves and turned her into a beautiful woman.

When the film was over everyone left, and they were instructed to leave their 3-D glasses in various bins. Once within safe distance from the ride, Han pulled his pair from inside his vest with a look of accomplishment on his face.

"Han, you were supposed to return those!" Leia said angrily.

"Nope. It said "please leave your 3-D glasses in the bins" not "you MUST leave your 3-D glasses in the bins." They need to be more specific. I took these babies to give to Luke for his souvenir."

Leia just rolled her eyes and said, "Let's go on the Indiana Jones ride."


	15. A Mirror Image of Perfection

**Chapter 15**

Han, Leia, and Ty headed toward Jungle Land, the land full of adventure and excitement. Massive, long-leafed, green trees that looked as if they had been growing for many years shrouded the land's pathway, cooling the temperature of that section of the park by several degrees. They approached Indiana Jones, an extremely popular ride based on a famous holofilm. Han and Leia had never seen the film, but they had heard that it was very exciting. The ride was housed in a cracked temple lit by torches along the ride's pathway.

They entered the line, which was much longer than those of the other rides they had been on. They had to wait outside the building, a concept that Han had to complain about profusely while Leia tried to quiet him down.

Once they entered the "temple" their surroundings became more interesting. Ancient-looking writing adorned the walls and they walked through a room full of spikes and human skulls. The violent-looking room fascinated Ty, and as he looked around he saw a pole with a sign next to it reading, "do not touch the pole." He did not like the idea of causing some hazard by merely touching a pole, so he tried to stand as far away from it as possible. Han, on the other hand, was never one to ignore a challenge, and grabbed the pole and aggressively pushed it to the side. The lights flashed and thunder struck as the ceiling of the room started to collapse. Ty shrieked and tried to run past the patrons in front of him, but Han grabbed his arm and laughed.

"Hey, Kiddo, it's no big deal. It's fake. Nothing on this ride is gonna hurt you. 'Cept maybe the big rock at the end of the ride. I hear that it's been known to crush people."

Ty looked scared and tried running off again, but Leia gently touched his arm and he turned around.

"It's okay, Ty. He's just joking, though it isn't very funny," she said, glaring at Han. "Han, Ty is only seven years old, and he's never been anywhere like this before. Don't say things like that."

"_Sure_, dear, anything you say," Han said with a sly grin.

When they finally got to the front of the line, a Bith pointed to their transport; a car that actually required wheels instead of repulsor jets. They all climbed inside, and the car jerked forward as it began moving. Ty was at the "driver's seat," therefore he was able to pretend like he was controlling the vehicle.

They lurched through a doorway, and Leia relaxed as the ride seemed to reach a slower pace. They moved slowly toward a large portrait of a woman with flashing eyes, and were inches away when the car jolted to the left.

The car shook and wobbled back and forth as they came upon a humanlike droid, presumably resembling Indiana Jones, dressed in strange clothes. He had a brownish-white tunic, brown pants, a gun-belt, and a brown hat that sat jauntily upon his head. Han glanced at him, and then did a double take as if he were seeing his reflection. The man (or droid) looked exactly like him!

"Leia! Does that handsome droid look familiar to you?" Han asked hurriedly.

Leia, prepared for a sarcastic comment, was shocked. "Yes, Han, he looks exactly like you!" Leia cried, noting that Han should try out the rugged un-shaven look sometime.

The droid began speaking. "Tourists! Why'd they send tourists? Turn left, left!"

"Han, he sounds just like you, too!" Leia said, bewildered.

"Ha!" Han whooped. "This totally makes up for the movie! I knew that they'd want to eternalize my roguish charms and handsome features in a ride!"

Just as the words left Han's mouth, the car took a severe turn to the left. Leia grabbed Han's forearm as she was nearly thrown out of her seat. The car wound through the temple, and when they approached a gigantic snake Leia noticed that Han was now grabbing _her_ arm.

"I _hate_ snakes, Leia. Why'd there have to be snakes?"

"You know it's not _really_ a snake, Han. Why don't you try comforting the little boy next to you who looks like he's going to die of fright?"

Han looked over and saw that Ty's face was ghost-white.

"It's okay, Kid, it's not real," Han said.

Ty nodded, and looked confident for a moment before he saw what was coming up. He then clutched his eyes shut and grasped Han's upper arm. Han looked forward to see what it was, and saw that it was the giant rock that he had told Ty about earlier. Indiana Jones was dangling above it, and it looked as if it were going to crush everyone.

"Watch out!" Leia shouted at the animatronic droid. "Jump, jump! Think about the children!"

Everyone looked at Leia strangely, and she just shrugged. "I have my reasons."

The car (amazingly) was not crushed by the giant (plaster) rock, and the ride finished in front of a winded Indiana Jones who was making various comments about the stupidity of the riders.

"Why does that Indiana Jones man look just like you, Han?"

"I dunno. I guess the people who made the ride were just taken with my ravishing good looks," Han said with a smug grin.

"I won't argue about the looks," Leia said, touching his chin with a forefinger. "But that movie was made a few years ago. The droid is modeled after the man in that film."

"There can't be two men who look like me in this galaxy! It's not possible that the Force would allow there to be _two_ such images of perfection."

Leia rolled her eyes this time. "You may have changed since we first met, Han, but your ego sure hasn't. We'll rent the film when we get home and you can see for yourself," Leia said, climbing out of the ride.

Han and Ty got out with her, and the three went out the exit.

"I wanna go on the ride again!" Ty told Han.

"What? You were freakin' out the whole time we were on the ride!"

"I know. That's why I wanna go on it again!"

"Kids," Han mumbled.

"Maybe later, Ty, but I have to go eat something. You don't want a hungry pregnant woman on your hands, do you?"

Ty shook his head emphatically.

"That's what I thought. Let's go."


	16. A Slip of the Tongue

Thank you, everyone! I'm sorry it's been such a long time since the last post.

**SoloKenobi** – I'm glad you thought it was funny! That would have been fantastic if Han was in Star Tours…

**SailorLeia** – Thank you yet again!

**Sweetdeath04** – Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it!

**ThePrincess04** – Hey, welcome! I'm glad you liked it!

**Chapter 16**

They headed to a small café on the main street, which offered all sorts of cuisine. It ranged from healthy Ithorian food to hearty Corellian food. Leia's eyes lit up when she saw all the food offered on the menu, and ordered practically everything off of it. Ty looked at the choices as if he had never seen food before, and after much deliberation chose to order a small sandwich. Han tried to get the boy to order more, but decided that they could get him more later. Han, of course, chose to order a greasy, meaty Corellian dish.

When the food came everyone dug in ravenously, engaging themselves in small talk in between bites. Han was asking Ty about the weather when Leia unexpectedly stood up, covered her mouth with her hand and bolted for the refresher.

"Man, she's gonna have to get the timing of her morning sickness together or she's never gonna be able to go back to work," Han said, looking at Ty.

"I'm sure it will be alright, Han. She's Princess Leia, she can do anything," Ty said with a look of complete veneration.

"Hey Kid, none of that. Leia may be the most special woman in the galaxy, but she's just a human like you and I. You can be just like her when you grow up."

"I somehow doubt that. I could never be like her, she's perfect!"

"Well, no argument from me about the perfect part, but seriously, you can be someone who makes a huge difference in the galaxy if you want to. Just look at me! I was exactly like you were as a kid, but I ended up a respectable general. You never know what the Force has in store for you."

Ty looked absolutely enthralled with Han's speech, but his expression soon changed back to one of worship when he realized what Han said his rank was.

"Wait…you're a GENERAL?"

Han sighed, leaned back in his chair and rolled his eyes toward the ceiling. Leave it to him to open his big mouth when he was just about to end the whole hero-worship thing.

"Yeah, it was just a field commission, though. No big deal. I had hardly even joined the Rebellion when they assigned it to me. I didn't deserve it."

"You had only been in the Rebellion a little bit when they made you a general? You must have been REALLY good!"

"No…well, I had already been with the Rebellion for a few years, just not officially. I had been smuggling for the Rebellion…"

"You were a SMUGGLER? Cool! I've always wanted to be a smuggler!"

_Oh great_, Han thought, _I've been trying to get him to grow up differently than I did, and now I've made him want to grow up to be a smuggler!_

"No, Ty, you don't want to be a smuggler. It's a dirty business, too dirty for a good kid like you. Maybe you could be a general like me," Han suggested hopefully.

"That would be great! Can I go back to New Alderaan with you guys?"

"We'll see, Kid. We want to find you a good home with some nice people to take care of you, and if we can't find one for you here on Corellia maybe we can find one on New Alderaan."

"Can't I just stay with you guys?"

Han sighed and looked at the boy sorrowfully. He had known that this was coming. "Sorry Kid, but we can't take care of you. Leia and I are going to have our own children, and there are plenty of people out there who want children but can't have them. It would only be fair to you to find you parents who don't have children of their own. Don't worry; we'll make sure that they're the perfect parents for you. Leia and me and our kids can visit you all the time, maybe you can even baby-sit them sometimes when you're old enough," Han said, hoping to appease Ty.

"Okay…that sounds good. And you'll be sure to visit me?"

"Of course, all the time! I couldn't ever forget about my little buddy," he said happily, ruffling the boy's hair.

Ty smiled, and at that moment Leia emerged from the refresher.

"So, what did you boys do while I was gone?" she asked, still looking somewhat queasy.

"Not much, just guy stuff," Han replied with a wink in Ty's direction.

"Well, anything's okay as long as you didn't finish your meal. I'm eating yours since I can't touch mine anymore," Leia said with conviction.

"Hey!" Han said, trying to cover his plate with his hands.

Leia just looked at him and motioned toward the plate with her hand. It flew toward her and settled where her smorgasbord of food had previously sat. "I only use the Force for evil when the baby's concerned," she said proudly.

"Now, what do I eat?" Han asked, annoyed.

"Eat my food. It's not like I'm going to touch it anymore."

"But it has…_green_ stuff," he said in disgust.

"Oh, poor Hanny-wanny needs his greasy foody-woody," she said mockingly.

"You're mean," he said, crossing his arms.

"I know, honey, but you already knew that when you married me, didn't you?"

"I guess so," he replied.

"Just take the bad with the good, Han. And I'll make sure the good is _extra _good," she said with a wink.

"Okay, okay, you can eat my food. But only if you make good on your promise."

"It's a deal. Now pass me that bread."


	17. Musings

**Chapter 17**

The day was coming to a close and the three of them had eaten nearly everything and gone on nearly every ride in the park. There were a few "turbulent" rides that they had waited in line for, only to learn at the very end of the line that pregnant women were not supposed to ride. Han and Ty had decided to go on one last ride, and while Leia was waiting on the bench at the ride's entrance for them to get off the ride, she entertained herself by watching the people passing by. Everyone looked much happier than they had during the days of the Empire. The Rebellion had been responsible for so much good in the galaxy: peace for billions of beings, a new democratic government, and the discovery of Leia's new family. She had to smile at that. Her children would never live through the greed and corruption of the Empire like she had. Han had told her that Ty's parents had been killed by Stormtroopers, which had only strengthened her resolve to keep the galaxy safe for the children's sake. She would die before her children lived in a galaxy of fear and hatred.

Han and Ty stepped off the ride, interrupting Leia's musings. Han wrapped an arm around Leia's shoulders and the three of them headed down the Main Street toward the park's exit. Leia gazed at the shops' windows and her eyes lit up when she saw baby items. She ran inside and splurged on a cute little outfit with Bernie the Bantha on it, as Han rolled his eyes at her outside the store. She showed it to him, eyes glowing, and he noted to himself that it looked a little boyish. He wondered what that meant.

They all left the park feeling somewhat depressed that they had to go. The three piled into the hover car and headed back to the hotel. Tomorrow they would search Corellia for a new home for Ty, and would head back to New Alderaan the next day.

As they entered the hotel room, Ty stretched his arms over his head and yawned in total exhaustion. He collapsed on the couch and immediately fell asleep. Han and Leia stood together in the doorway, watching Ty as he was transformed from a tough street kid to an innocent little boy in his sleep. It was easy to forget how young he really was during the day, but in sleep there was no way for him to hide his age. Han grabbed the blanket and tucked him in as Leia took a pillow and placed it gently under his head. The couple kissed Ty on the forehead before heading into their own room.

As they lay down to sleep Leia leaned into her husband's warm body and asked, "Han, what are we going to do to find a home for Ty?"

"Well, I guess we'll check all the adoption agencies here on Corellia. If none of them can take him I guess we can take him back to New Alderaan."

"But if no one can take him here who will we turn to? There aren't any adoption agencies on New Alderaan."

"Yeah, I've been thinking about that. You know, I don't really have a job in the new government, besides being a 'General.' I definitely don't want to be a politician, or a businessman, or a smuggler. Though I bet you'd love that," He said with a wink, as Leia winced in response. "So I was thinking, since I don't want to be in the military either, that maybe I could open an adoption agency on New Alderaan. I could start by finding a home for Ty, and then I could find homes for all the kids on New Alderaan who need one. It wouldn't have to be limited to New Alderaan, either. I mean, my past would actually be beneficial in that sense. I could even do it from home so I could stay with our kids during the day. So what do you think?"

"That's a wonderful idea, Han. Not only would it be perfect for you it would benefit the new government and our community. And I'm glad you don't want to go back to smuggling," she said as she kissed him.

"Yeah. Our kids would be really messed up if I did that, huh?"

"Maybe. But I think you would be the one more "messed up" because I would beat you up beyond recognition if you tried to leave me to go gallivanting across the galaxy with Chewie."

"Hmm. And here I was thinking you were a pacifist, Sweetheart."

"Whoever told you that, _darlin'_?" She asked with a smile, leaning closer to him.

"Oh, I just heard it around. Never believed it for a second, though."

"Well, I _am_ a pacifist, except when I'm around you. My rules don't apply to you."

"I guess that's okay, since I get other benefits that other people don't."

"And you enjoy reaping those benefits, don't you?"

"More than anything," he said as he leaned in for a passionate kiss.

Leia pulled away after a moment, much to Han's consternation. "Cool it, hot shot, there's a little boy in the next room, and I don't think that curtain has very good soundproofing. Plus we have to get up early tomorrow."

"When we get on the Falcon though…" he said, shaking his finger at her in mock warning.

"Don't worry, you'll get your benefits soon enough. You know, anticipation can sometimes heat things up a little, if you know what I mean."

"Anticipation can, but I don't know about starvation."

"My stars, Han, it's been two days! I don't think you're quite to the point of starvation yet."

"Maybe not, but it's pretty tough with you just laying there looking sexy enough to eat."

"Just go to sleep Han, maybe you can dream about me." That settled him down, and he wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes.

"Good idea. 'Night Leia, see you in my dreams."

"Goodnight Han."


	18. Coincidence, or Something More?

**Sorry, everyone! Between school and clubs and sleep and all I've been kind of putting fan fiction on the back burners, but now I feel guilty so I'll try to update much more often. I usually edit all the chapters, but right now I'm putting up everything as is, so some things might be overly sappy or ridiculous or whatever, but hopefully everything's fine.**

**_SoloKenobi _– I'm glad you liked it! You'll see what happens with Ty in this next chapter.**

**_Sweetdeath04_ – I'm glad you think it's funny! I'm always worried that someone is going to take every little thing seriously and think that my story's stupid or something.**

**_Freetrader_ – Thank you for getting me back on track! I'm flattered that you like the story so much! Sometimes I get lazy and need a nice swift kick to the rear to get me going again. Don't worry, you don't sound like a jerk. I would post all of the chapters at once, but it takes so long to edit everything and submit each chapter that I have to do everything in pieces. I'll try to be better about posting more often, though.**

**Chapter 18**

The next morning the Solos took Ty in the rented speeder with the intention of looking at adoption agencies. They had forgotten, however, that it took weeks; months even, to find a home for an orphaned child. As they left the tenth agency their hopes were crushed and they were becoming jaded about the whole institution. When did such a personal thing like adoption become so steeped in bureaucracy?

As they exited the brown, dull building and headed toward their speeder they saw a couple, probably in their early thirties, enter the building. The woman had dark-blonde, long hair and bright hazel eyes, and the man had thick jet-black hair with gray-blue eyes. Their clothes appeared clean, new, and stylish, and Han and Leia presumed that they were rather well off, though they did not appear snobbish in the least. Rather, they looked hopeful, and held hands as they stepped inside. The Solos glanced at each other and headed back inside the building with Ty walking between them. At the front desk a bored teenage girl sat twirling her hair as the couple they had seen outside told her their situation.

The man looked patiently at the disinterested girl as he spoke, "We came here from New Alderaan to adopt a child. We can't have children ourselves, though we desperately want one, and there is no adoption agency on our planet. Can you please help us?"

Han and Leia looked into each other's eyes hopefully; maybe this was where the Force had intended for them to go.

"Sorry, Mister, but you can't adopt children here if you don't live on this planet. I don't make the rules."

"But we've tried everywhere else! I'm sure that there are children here who need a home urgently, and we're willing to provide one! Can you please make an exception?"

"No. Rules are rules. It might even be a law, I dunno. Go talk to the government."

The woman now chose to speak, and she was slightly more daring than her husband, "We _have_ talked to the government! We live on New Alderaan, you know. There's no law against adopting a child from a different planet, that's just a rule made by agencies!"

"Lady, I will tell you one last time: I don't make the rules. With your attitude, I'm starting to think that maybe you shouldn't adopt children after all," the girl said spitefully.

The woman burst into tears and fled from the room, hands covering her eyes. The man glared at the girl angrily, though she didn't even seem to notice, and followed his wife. Han, Leia, and Ty followed after them.

Once outside Han ran toward the couple, now sitting on a nearby bench, arms wrapped around each other. He cleared his throat and said, "Excuse me, but I think I might have a solution to your problem."

"Who are you?" The man asked, turning his head away from his wife to glance at the stranger. His tone was not harsh, it was only curious.

"Name's Han Solo. My wife and I have been to all the agencies on Corellia looking for a home for our little friend over there," he said with a nod in Ty's direction. "We found him on the streets and want to find him a permanent place to live, but none of the agencies are working out. He's a real good kid, though. Do you want to meet him? His name's Ty Glenner."

The two were staring at the former smuggler with slack jaws, trying to compute everything he said.

"Let me get this straight," the man said after a moment, "You're saying that you're General Han Solo, here on Corellia with your wife, Senator Leia Organa Solo, and the two of you are wondering if we want to adopt your friend?"

"That's about the gist of it, yeah," Han said.

"I can't believe it, Gerry," the woman said to her husband. "The Force really does exist."

"I can't believe it either. Sir, I'm sure that you're telling me the truth, but just to be sure, I have to ask you a question that only Han Solo could answer."

"Go ahead."

"So, how did you and your wife actually hook up? I've heard stories, but I'm sure the real story is completely different."

"Gerry!" scolded the woman.

"No it's okay," Han said with a grin, "I like his attitude. It's a pretty long story though, are you sure you want to hear it?"

"Of course! But why don't you bring Ty over here so we can sit with him while you tell us? We really want to meet him," said the man named Gerry.

Ty and Leia walked over to the couple, and the woman turned to her husband and whispered, "Gerry, I know for sure that's Princess Leia. You don't need to make the poor man tell you that long story."

"I know," he whispered back. "But I really want to hear it."

As Ty came close by, the couple looked at him in joy and awe. In their eyes he was the most beautiful boy in the galaxy. Ty looked downward with a slight blush as he saw that he was being stared at, but the woman kneeled down so that she was eye-level with the boy and put her hand on his shoulder, causing him to move his gaze upward.

"Ty," she said kindly, "My name is Helena Bengley and this is my husband, Gerry Bengley. Would you like to sit with us and listen to a story?"

Ty nodded his head and asked, "Are you going to adopt me?"

She smiled. "Hopefully. If you want us to, that is."

Ty nodded again and sat up on the bench between Helena and Gerry. Gerry gazed down at the boy with fatherly pride and hoped fervently that they would be able to adopt him.

Han and Leia stood close together and watched the three interacting. They really looked like a family. The Solos let the newly acquainted future-family get to know each other for a few minutes before Gerry looked up at them again.

"So, are you going to tell us the story or just stand there?" he asked with a grin.

"Oh yeah," Han responded, a lopsided smile forming on his face. "It all started as we were being slowly digested in the belly of a space slug…"


	19. The Story

**Chapter 19**

"It all started as we were being slowly digested in the belly of a space slug and I had shut down everything 'cept for the emergency power systems. There was quite the romantic lighting, if you know what I mean," he said with a wink.

Leia spoke up from his side. "Wouldn't our relationship have started earlier than that? What about the Death Star, and Yavin, and Hoth…"

"No, I'm telling the story about how we got together, not how we met," he said. "Why don't you just sit down and have me tell it? I'll make it interesting…"

Leia threw up her hands in defeat and sat down on the bench. "It'd better be good, that's all I have to say."

"Oh, it will. Okay, getting back to the story. I had done some amazing maneuvers through the asteroid field, and I had the brilliant idea to fly into the cave of one of the asteroids to hide. Well, actually it wasn't so brilliant since it turned out I flew into a giant space slug, but that's beside the point. So, there we were in the cave, er...space slug. That doesn't sound real romantic, though," Han said as he scratched his head. "Oh well. Leia and I were in the Falcon's cockpit when the ship suddenly lurched and threw me back into a chair and Leia fell into my arms. She was real comfortable there until she realized that she was supposed to be indignant at the very idea of being held by me. She tried to protest, but I knew that she didn't really want me to let go, so I just kept on holding her. She was starting to get real jumpy, so I told her 'don't get excited,' which really set her off. You should have seen her eyes! So then she said something like me holding her wasn't enough to get her excited, and I let her up and told her 'we haven't got time for anything else' and left the cockpit.

"After that I just knew she wanted me. I knew she was confused, and I decided to end her confusion in a way that was not only good for her, but for me too. I was working on fixing the hyperdrive and some other stuff on the Falcon with Chewie and Threepio, and I looked over and saw that she was welding some valves and was trying to reengage the system but couldn't, so I gallantly went over and tried to help her. When I reached around her to try and fix it for her she just hit me. The thanks I get! So I said that I was only trying to help, and she got all mad that I called her "Your Worship" for some reason. Jeez, it was only a nickname! Though it did get her nice and riled up…"

"I _am_ sitting right here, Han," Leia said, crossing her arms.

"I know, and it's all thanks to the suave moves I made in the Falcon," Han said, grinning. "Well, that's the second interruption my wife has made so far, any bets on the final? Ten? Twenty? Probably more, actually. Well, getting back, _again_, we were talking and I was trying to get her to admit that she liked me. She always tried to act like she hated me, but I _knew_ she secretly dreamt of me at night."

Leia snorted.

"That's three," said Han. "Okay, so she was starting to get more comfortable, and she said that she actually thought that I was all right when I wasn't acting like a scoundrel. I thought that was hilarious, so I repeated 'scoundrel' a few times and said that I liked the sound of it. Then I figured things were going well, so I took her hand and started massaging it. She got so confused when I did _that_! So she tried to talk her way out of the inevitable and made up the excuse that her hands were dirty. I thought she could have come up with a better excuse than that! Once she said that I knew she was caving into my charms and I took her other hand and started drawing her toward me. She was trembling, so I told her so. She tried to deny it, but her voice was shaky with anticipation. She knew what was coming – she didn't fight it. So I drew her even closer and said 'you like me because I'm a scoundrel. There aren't enough scoundrels in your life.' That's when she got really excited, but she still managed to say 'I happen to like nice men.' Sure, like the fact that she was trembling in my arms showed that she liked nice men. Right. So I just told her that I _was_ a nice man, and while she was trying to deny it I kissed her. I kissed her real slow, and wrapped my arms around her. She actually surprised me and started running her fingers through my hair. She really seemed to enjoy the kiss, and I know that _I_ enjoyed it. It was the most amazing thing I had ever experienced.

"So while we were kissing, Threepio barged in all excited and told us that he had isolated the reverse power flux coupling. Like I really would have cared! So while I was glaring at the stupid droid Leia made an escape. She was still confused for a while after that, but it didn't take her long to realize that she loved me. I guess she just didn't want to admit her feelings because she knew I had to leave to pay off Jabba. She finally admitted that she loved me in the Carbon-freezing chamber, but that's a different story.

"So now you know how Leia and me got together. After that first big step our relationship was real natural – it was hard to imagine what we were like before. And now we're married, so you all know how it worked out. Any comments? Anyone? What's wrong with you guys?"


	20. Plans

**Chapter 20**

When Han was finished with his story Ty, Gerry, and Helena all looked at Han and Leia in shock. They never knew what a crazy romance those two had.

"So here you are," Helena said finally with a gentle smile. "So, are the two of you planning on having any kids?"

"Yes," Leia said with a glance at Han. She was about to say more when Ty interrupted.

"Yeah, they are! She's already pregnant!"

"Really?" Helena asked Ty before turning to the couple standing before them. "Is that true, Senator Organa Solo?"

"Yes, I am pregnant. We're going to have a baby."

Helena thought this through; she was amazed to see that she was one of the first people in the galaxy to hear about Senator Organa Solo's pregnancy.

Gerry joined in the conversation after no one had said anything for a while and asked, "So, how did you guys meet up with Ty?"

"Well, we were walking back from the hospital to our hotel room when we saw Ty on the side of the street begging for help, and we knew that we wanted to help him find a home. Han is thinking about opening up an adoption agency on New Alderaan, so we can find homes for other children like Ty."

"Oh, really? That would be wonderful. New Alderaan is really in need of a place for adoption. It would've been helpful for us," said Gerry.

"So, do you think that you two will be able to help us adopt Ty? How can we adopt him if no agency will help us out?" asked Helena.

"Well, I think that I can pull some strings for you. I'm sure the Senate will help us out, especially if they know that we are going to form an adoption agency on New Alderaan. The Senate is most interested in human-welfare issues, since they were completely ignored in the days of the Empire," Leia responded.

"Well, I hope it all works out for everyone. Just wondering, though, how're we all going to get back to New Alderaan? Are we leaving now, or tomorrow, or what? And who's bringing Ty?" Han asked, trying to get all his questions out into the open before he was interrupted by the enthusiastic bunch.

"Would you mind if we took Ty back with us? We were going to stay for a week, but this is worth going back for. We can leave tomorrow, if that's all okay with you guys," Gerry said.

"That sounds good. We were planning on leaving tomorrow as well, and just spending the rest of our vacation back home. Do you live near the capital?" asked Leia.

"We live about 15 kilometers away from the Senate building. Not too far away. Can we meet you there as soon as we get back?" inquired Helena.

"Sure. So I guess we'll see you in about a week or so, then. We should probably trade comlink frequencies, huh?" stated Han.

The four adults traded comlink frequencies and other vital information as Ty watched them all with interest. As soon as they were finished, Gerry and Helena hugged the Solos in pure gratitude. When the new friends disengaged from their hugs Han and Leia turned to Ty, and the three were suddenly overcome with emotion.

Ty hugged Leia first, the woman who had been like a mother to him the past couple of days. She held him close, feeling suddenly upset that another couple would be adopting him. He had a beautiful heart.

"Now, Ty, you have to promise me that you'll come and visit us and the baby. If he's anything like his father we'll need all the help we can get."

"I promise, Leia. And thank you for everything that you've done for me."

Leia hugged him again, and then let her husband take over.

"Hey, Kid, we'll definitely miss you a lot. And you'd better listen to Leia and make your new parents take you over to visit us. You can meet Luke and Chewie and all of our friends, too. And I still have your toys from Corellia Land, so if you don't come see us you won't get them back," Han joked, trying to alleviate the tension with humor.

"Don't worry Mr. General. I mean, Han," Ty teased, much to the surprise of the ex-smuggler. The kid was catching on quick. "I'll visit all the time, if they'll let me."

He glanced in the direction of his prospective adoptive parents and saw them nod in response.

"Good," Han said simply, and enfolded the boy in a bear hug. He would miss him, but he knew that Ty belonged with the Bengleys. Ty clutched him tightly, and the two former ragged street beggars exchanged emotions in the only way that they could both completely understand. They shared a bond, a friendship, in a way that only two people who have been through the same terrible experiences can. When they separated the despair was palpable, but only temporary. Both knew that this was not a final parting.

As Ty and the Bengleys started walking toward their hotel Ty walked backward, waving all the way. He didn't want to turn his back on Han and Leia. He didn't stop waving until the two people who had completely turned his life around were out of sight.


	21. Alone Together

**Chapter 21**

Han and Leia returned to their hotel room, feeling somewhat strange to be coming back without Ty. They knew that it was all for the best, however, and decided to try to make the best of their time alone. When they approached the door Han unexpectedly scooped Leia into his arms and swept her over the threshold. She tried to wriggle herself free at first but then just laid back into his arms and let him carry her. He danced her into the bedroom and gently placed her in the center of the bed. She smiled as he joined her and kissed her neck, wrapping his arms around her.

"Well, it's tomorrow today," he said as he kissed her cheek. "And we didn't have to wait to get to the Falcon."

"No, and it's such a shame isn't it?"

"Oh, yes, such a shame," he said as he kissed her full on the lips.

"We've been waiting a long time, huh? For us, that is," Leia said with a wink.

"For us? Yeah, a _really_ long time," he agreed, and then he turned his attention to Leia's belly. He kissed her stomach reverently, placing kisses where his son or daughter was growing. Leia gasped in response and caressed his back lovingly; joyous to see again that he was so happy about her pregnancy. She thought that she heard him whispering to their child, but she wasn't sure. She rather hoped not; he would be rather scary when she started showing if that was the case.

He caressed her belly with his hands one last time, and then returned to her mouth. She returned the kiss completely, and soon the two fell into a passionate, synchronous rhythm.

The next day the couple woke up and realized that they were going to leave Corellia today. They reluctantly got out of bed, dressed quickly, and packed their bags. They were surprisingly hesitant to leave the run-down hotel, but they were looking forward to returning back to New Alderaan; Leia couldn't wait to tell everyone about her pregnancy. Hopefully Luke would be back from his Jedi mission by then, and perhaps Chewie would want to bring his family back to New Alderaan for a while. They couldn't wait to ask him about his holofilm career. Leia even hoped that Lando would visit; she wanted everyone to be there when she made the announcement.

The flight back to New Alderaan was uneventful. Amazingly, they didn't run into any asteroid fields or bounty hunters on their voyage. Han and Leia enjoyed sharing plenty of time alone together, and by the time they arrived back on New Alderaan they were eager to see their friends and family again. They knew that the first thing they had to do was meet up with Ty, Helena, and Gerry, and they still needed to contact Luke, Chewie, and Lando, but they were excited all the same.

The Falcon entered the atmosphere of New Alderaan, and Han turned on the comlink to request permission to land. Once they were cleared for landing Han docked in his usual spot.

Han and Leia disembarked from the Falcon expecting to go straight to the senate building to wait for Ty and the Bengleys, but were met with the unexpected surprise of seeing Luke at the end of the boarding ramp.

"Luke!" Leia shouted as she ran down the ramp and into her brother's arms. "I missed you! How did you know that we'd be here?"

"Oh, just the Force," Luke said with a wink.

Han then walked down the ramp and hugged Luke as well, producing the 3-D glasses that he had taken from Corellia Land.

"Here, Kid, I got these for you," Han said with a smirk.

"Uh…thanks, Han. These will be really…useful."

"No problem, Kid. And Leia will say that they're stolen, but they really aren't. They only _requested_ that we not take them, so I didn't break my promise."

"Oh, sure, Han. I'll believe _that_ one," Luke said with a brotherly nudge into Han's side.

"It's the truth! Well, anyway, why don't you come with us to the senate building? There's someone there that we want to introduce you to."

"Sure," Luke responded with a shrug of his shoulders, and then followed the two toward the capital.

"Oh, Luke," Leia said, walking next to him. She was starting to change her mind about waiting for everyone to visit to tell her news. She could at least tell Luke; he was her twin brother after all. She decided to tell him after they had Ty settled. "There's so much to tell you about our trip. And you have to tell us about your trip, too. After we meet up with Ty we're all going to sit together and swap stories."


	22. Staring Contest

**Oops! I forgot to do responses last chapter. I really appreciate the reviews, everyone! This is probably just as entertaining for me as it is for you guys because I get to read chapters that I wrote a long time ago and totally forgot about! Beware of the crazy chapters coming up, though.**

**SoloKenobi – I'm glad you liked it! I enjoyed writing that chapter. Here's some more!**

**SailorLeia – Thank you! Heart-warming is the name of the game. It's the antidote for angst!**

**Miss Krux – I know, I kind of felt guilty sending Ty away, but I figured that this way he would at least still be able to see Han and Leia, which is a better situation than Anakin had. I don't think that it should have to be too sad. Thanks for reading!**

**AnonymousEccentric – Thanks, and welcome to the story! I'm glad you think that it is interesting and well thought out! This story will continue to be sappy (and hopefully will continue to be cute), as I was getting tired of angst and wanted to do something totally silly and sweet. I hope you keep enjoying it!**

**Chapter 22**

They arrived at the senate building, a monolithic structure comprised of gigantic white columns and ornately carved walls. The structure was designed to appear ancient, and looked like it came straight from Alderaan. The group stood in front of the bustling area, waiting for the appearance of Ty, Helena, and Gerry. After waiting for about a half-hour, Ty and the Bengleys appeared and ran up to hug Han and Leia. Ty clutched each of his rescuers tightly, but also appeared to have become attached to the Bengleys.

"Hey, Ty, how've you been, kiddo?" Han asked.

"Great, Han. I really hope that you can get me adopted." Ty said with a smile that could swallow a Death Star.

"We'll see what we can do. Hey, Kid, I have something for you," Han said as he produced the Endor play set that they had bought in Corellia Land.

"Oh, neat! Thanks, Han!" Ty replied enthusiastically as he moved to rip open the packaging.

"Before you tear that thing open and start playing with it on the ground, I want you to meet someone," Han said as he motioned for Luke to come and stand next to him. "Ty, buddy, this is my brother-in-law and best friend Luke Skywalker. Luke, this is Ty Glenner, our pal from Corellia."

Luke extended his right hand for Ty to shake, but Ty just looked up at him blankly. Luke sighed. He would have to get used to being famous at some point. He put his arm back down and spoke.

"It's very nice to meet you, Ty. You must be a very special boy if you've made friends with Han and Leia."

Ty continued to stare.

"It's okay, Luke, he'll do this for about another day and then he'll be alright. He just has to get used to you for a bit," said Han.

Ty continued to stare.

"Um…Ty," Han said, waving his hand in front of Ty's face.

Ty continued to stare.

"He'll be fine," Helena said, wanting to change the subject. "So, Leia, how is the baby doing? Giving you too much trouble?"

"Oh, well, no…" Leia said, glancing over at Luke, who was now staring at her.

"So everything's fine, morning sickness not too bad?"

"Yes, everything's fine. I've had a little morning sickness, but it hasn't been too bad," Leia said, looking sorrowfully at Luke. "I'm sorry, Luke, I was going to tell you later today. Don't you have any reaction besides staring at me blankly?"

Luke continued to stare.

"I mean, it's not like we've been keeping it a secret for months. We just found out during our vacation."

Luke continued to stare.

"I'm so sorry, Leia. I didn't know that you hadn't told him yet," Helena said, ashamed of herself.

"It's okay, Helena, you couldn't have known," Leia soothed before turning back to her shocked brother. "Luke, you're going to be an uncle. Isn't that great?"

Luke finally pulled out of his reverie. "Oh, yes! That's wonderful! I just wasn't expecting it, that's all."

"Well, it was bound to happen sometime or another with the way we…" Han's suggestive comment was cut short as Leia quickly put her hand over his mouth.

"We can talk about this later, but right now I think we have an adoption to finalize."


	23. Oops!

**Chapter 23**

They all entered the Senate building intending to see Chancellor Mon Mothma. Once they received permission from the Senate to open an adoption center they would be able to sign the adoption papers and grant adoption rights to Helena and Gerry. Leia would talk to Mon Mothma, and if she approved of the proposal they would bring it before the Senate.

As they briskly walked down the hall they almost passed the leader of the Alliance, but luckily Leia did a double take and hurried over to Mon Mothma's side.

"Mon!" Leia shouted, happy that she was able to find the venerable leader.

"Leia! Back so soon?"

"Yes, Mon, we had a little change in plans. I won't be coming back to work quite yet if that is acceptable, but I wanted to bring a proposal before the Senate and I wanted your approval first."

"Sure, Leia, what is the proposal?"

Leia turned to her husband. "Han, why don't you tell Mon about your proposal?"

"Um…sure. Madame Chancellor…"

"Mon is perfectly fine, Han," Mon Mothma said with a genuine smile.

"Oh, sure. Mon, while we were on Corellia we met this little boy," he said as he motioned to Ty. "His name's Ty. He's an orphan from Corellia, and he wants to be adopted by this man and woman here, but there are no agencies on Corellia that will allow the adoption to take place. I wanted to propose that I create an adoption agency here on New Alderaan, and have Ty be the first kid adopted. I think that this would be very beneficial to the new government, and the planet in general."

"Oh, Han, that is a wonderful idea. New Alderaan is in dire need of a place of adoption. Would you really be willing to be in charge of the agency?"

Han nodded and let a lopsided grin cross his face. "Yeah, of course. I love little kids, and I'll have to get used to them with the new baby and all…"

"New baby? Who's having a baby?" Mon Mothma asked.

Leia blushed and glared at Han, quickly trying to divert her attention from the conversation in the hope that the Chancellor wouldn't become suspicious and figure it out. She "inconspicuously" whistled and stared at the ground while shifting her weight from her toes to her heels.

"Leia? You're pregnant?" Mon Mothma asked incredulously. Leia blushed even redder when she added, "You've only been married a few months!"

Han shrugged and winked, and Leia sighed. "Why does everyone need to find out before I tell them?" she asked no one in particular.

Han wrapped an arm around her. "Because you're not exactly doing the best job at hiding it, Sweetheart."

"Like you're helping!"

Han backed away, having learned his lesson to not get on Leia's bad side with her fluctuating hormones. "Sorry, honey, it was just a slip…"

"Everything's ruined! I had this big plan. I was going to have everyone come to our apartment, and I was going to tell them all at once. Now Luke and Mon have both found out, and I wasn't even able to tell them! Why does nothing go as planned?"

"It's okay, Leia, it's life. Nothing can be planned perfectly or life would be boring. You gotta admit, it is more interesting this way."

"No, it's not. Luke's feeling's were hurt, and you ruined it for Mon…"

"Why does it need to be a big production, anyway? I mean, they've gotta find out some time or another, right?"

"Because it's the most important thing in our lives, that's why!" Leia said before clutching her stomach and putting her right hand over her mouth. "Stupid morning sickness…I'll finish my point later. You'll pay for this, Solo!" she said before running for the 'fresher.

After she left, Mon Mothma turned to Han. "Well, congratulations about the baby, Han. And I must say that if the Senate does not approve of your proposal they are going to be regretting it, because I don't think that they want to be facing an angry, hormonal Leia."

"Yeah. She'd start ranting about how dumb they all are and then get weepy and tell them how sorry she was. It'd freak them out."

"So, I see that you've already been experiencing this, Han. How long has she known?"

"Only a few days, I think. Though I think she suspected something before that." He then turned toward Luke, Ty, Gerry, and Helena. "Hey, why aren't you guys in this conversation? Are you protesting against words?"

"Well, this isn't exactly a group conversation, Han old buddy. It was interesting enough to watch," Luke said.

"Well, you're going to be seeing a lot of it over the next eight or nine months. Leia's got the side effects of pregnancy pretty bad. It's gonna be ugly."

"I bet. Hey, Han, I didn't get a chance to congratulate you yet. I _was_ a little shocked. Thanks for making me an uncle!"

"No problem Kid, no problem at all."


	24. Grammar

**GreatOne – **Yes, poor Leia, indeed. I finished the story over at the JC, and I'm trying to get up the inspiration to go work on my other story. I'm happy that you liked this enough to re-read chapters!

**Sweetdeath04 – **No problem with not replying for a while. I have a problem with going a long time without replying, so I definitely understand. I'm glad that you think it's funny and still enjoy it!

**HRHpadmeamidala – **Yeah, I definitely take some liberty with Han's character in this story (at least in some chapters). I'm glad you thought it was sweet! I think that Han would be a good father, too. I'm not sure whether I mentioned twins in the last chapter or not, but we'll see about that.

**ThePrincess04 – **Thank you!

**Chapter 24**

The next day Leia brought the proposal before the Senate and it was passed unanimously. The Bengleys successfully adopted Ty, and Han was able to start planning New Alderaan's adoption agency. He was in the living room of their apartment, jotting down some ideas for the agency in his datapad when Leia entered.

"Hi, Han. How's the planning coming?"

"Um, well, okay I guess considering the fact that I've never done anything like this before."

"Can I see?"

Han shrugged. "Sure."

She took the datapad from Han, and read:

**Adoption Agency:**

•_Need kids_

•_Need a place_

•_Need money_

"That's _it_, Han? This is _all_ you've accomplished in four hours?"

"Yeah, well I _said_ that I've never done anything like this before. How am I supposed to know what to do? There's not exactly a section on planning a business in the smuggler's handbook."

"Let me help you, Han," Leia said as she sat down next to him. "Okay, the first thing you need to do when planning a business is research other businesses. You need to study other successful adoption agencies in order to have a better idea of what you should do for yours."

"Study? No. No way. I ain't studyin' no businesses. I don't need to know what other people do, I need to know what _I_ want to do."

"First you need to study other businesses," she repeated, a sly grin beginning to cross her face as she prepared to take flight. "Then you need to work on your grammar."

He tried to make a grab for her wrist, but she eluded his grasp by twisting to the right and running to the other side of the couch. He stood up and jumped toward her, but she ran back to the front of the couch, giggling. Han decided on an evasive maneuver, and jumped over the couch, grabbing Leia around the waist. She shrieked and tried to wriggle out of his arms, but he held her tightly.

"I ain't got no problem with my grammar, Princess," he said mock-threateningly.

"You seem to have never learned the rule of the double negative," she rebutted.

"What kind of a scoundrel would I be if I did?"

"A pathetic one."

"See?"

"But I happen to like nice men."

"No use trying _that_ one on me, Your Highnessness. You've disproved that statement way too many times now for that to work on me anymore, and it didn't even work in the first place," he said, inching his face closer to hers.

"Your grammar was pretty good in that sentence, Sir Scoundrel."

"Who cares about grammar?"

"I don't. I happen to like a nice chopped up sentence delivered by my favorite scoundrel," she replied, finally giving in to him.

"I ain't gonna argue with that," he said as he kissed her.

After a few moments, she pulled away, smiling. "Save that for later, Han. You need to work on your business right now. You _do_ need to sound responsible when you're talking to prospective clients. When you're talking to someone you don't need to sound like a diplomat, but you should at least attempt to speak properly. You need to cut out the 'ain'ts' and the 'don't need no's' if anyone is going to listen to you," she said seriously.

"But I can have poor grammar around you?"

"Of course, I wouldn't know who you were if you didn't speak poorly around me."

"One of these days, Leia," Han said, shaking his fist at her.

"Ooh, I'm shivering. Okay, your list was actually pretty good, if a little vague. We need to find a location, raise funds, and find children who need homes. Once we do that we can start finding a place for those children to live."

"How did I end up with such a beautiful, intelligent, and domineering wife?"

"You can thank an old hermit, a moisture farmer's nephew, two droids, and your father-in-law for that one."


	25. Buddies

**Chapter 25**

One week later…

Han and Leia were asleep in their bed when someone knocked loudly on their apartment's door. Han sat up groggily, running a hand through his hair as he stood up. He glanced over at Leia, but she was still sleeping, exhausted from both her day at the Senate and her pregnancy.

Han grabbed his trusty blaster just in case the person outside wasn't friendly, and slowly made his way toward the door. He looked up at the screen above the door to see who it was, and barely restrained a loud whoop of excitement when he saw who was there.

"Chewie! Lando! What're you guys doin' here?" he asked in excitement as he slid open the door.

"Well, I was just taking a break from the toy business to come visit the newlyweds, and I found old Chewbacca here in the hangar bay. I guess we both had the same idea," said Lando with a toothy smile.

Chewie growled in affirmation and swept Han into a bone-crushing Wookiee hug.

"Hey buddy, I kind of like my bones the way they are!" Han berated good-naturedly as he gently pushed his oldest friend away from him.

How are you doing, my friend?" Chewie asked.

"Never better, Chewie. We've got some exciting stuff to tell you. Do you want me to go wake up Leia?"

"She's already awake," came the reply from the doorway of the bedroom.

Leia looked disheveled, with her long brown hair in a mass of tangles and shallow rings under her eyes, but she was still beautiful.

"Well, hello beautiful princess," Lando said as he dipped down into a bow and kissed her hand softly. "It's an honor to have you grace us with your presence so early in the morning."

"Likewise," Leia said groggily. "Why are you guys here? I tried comming you, but I couldn't get through."

"I didn't even know that you called. I just wanted to see how you and Mr. Respectable were doing here on New Alderaan."

"Well, we're doing wonderfully. Are you sure that's the only reason you came? You're not having troubles with the…_toy_ business?" she asked with a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"No, no, business is great. Is stopping by for a friendly visit a crime these days?"

"When you're Lando Calrissian, yes. Well, it's at least highly suspicious."

"I should be offended, but my affable personality forbids it," Lando said, grinning.

Leia decided to ignore him and turned to Chewbacca. She smiled broadly when she saw the enormous, furry Wookiee, and enveloped him in a huge hug.

"We've missed you, Chewie. Did Malla and Lumpy come to visit, too?"

Chewie nodded, and was about to make a comment when he realized that something was different about Leia.

You smell different, little princess. Is there something you need to tell us?

"Well, yes. Han and I have an announcement to make," she paused as she went over to her husband's side and entwined her fingers with his. Finally, she could make the announcement! "We're going to have a baby."

Chewbacca roared in excitement as he went over to the happy couple and grabbed them both in a congratulatory hug. He ruffled Han's hair and gently (for a Wookiee) slapped him on the back.

Lando just stared at them, dumbstruck. He had never imagined his old smuggler friend as a father. The idea would have been completely inconceivable had he not known how much Han loved his wife. He supposed that he would get used to the idea in time; right now he had to congratulate the two parents-to-be.

"Well, congratulations, you two. It's gonna be interesting seeing Han as a dad."

"Yes, it will," Leia replied as she looked up at Han.

Chewie growled his agreement.

"Hey! It's not _that_ strange," he said, and was met with silence. "Well, maybe it is, but what about Leia? Won't it be strange that she'll be a mother?"

"No, not really, it's just you," Lando said.

Chewie cocked his head to the side, thinking, and then nodded.

"Okay, okay, I get it - Leia's the respectable one. Anyway, it'll be fun being a dad. I can teach the kid how to repair the Falcon, we can go to smashball games…"

"And change diapers, and wake up in the middle of the night…" Lando added.

Han groaned. "Don't remind me. But I guess all that stuff will be all right, since the rest of the time we'll have fun, ya know what I mean?"

"Yeah. You know what, Han old buddy? I think you're shaping up to be a good father already."

"Thanks, pal. You don't know how much that means to me."


	26. Tell Me You Didn't

**GreatOne – Thanks! Given Han's past, it makes sense that the guys would tease him about becoming a father.**

**GuardianofWilds – Thank you! I'm glad you like it. I'll be sure to check out your story. Here's more.**

**Chapter 26**

The next day, Han, Leia, Lando, Luke, and Chewie went to go look at possible places for the agency. They wanted to have it somewhere in the middle of the capital where as many people would see it and know about it as possible. So far there were several prospects, but nothing had quite hit them as being _the_ place as of yet.

They were walking through one of the larger buildings; one they thought might be a bit _too_ large for the small agency that they were planning. Leia, Luke, and Chewie had decided to explore one area, while Han and Lando explored the other. Lando, suddenly struck with an idea, turned to Han.

"Han, old buddy – why don't you have me help you with the planning? I mean I have the experience, you have the idea, it would be really profitable."

"Lando, since when have profits been an issue to me?"

"Well, always. You know, the whole 'I'm in this for the money' thing Leia told me about, smuggling, you name it."

"And how long ago was that?" Han asked as Lando was slowly beginning to understand what his friend was saying.

"Uh, about four years ago…but profits are always important. I mean, you don't want Leia to be the only provider, do you?"

"Lando, no offense, but even if we _did _ have money problems I wouldn't want to get involved in one of your crazy schemes. Bespin wasn't exactly a vacation for me, if you remember."

"But it wouldn't be anything like that! There's no more Empire, no more bounty, no problems! C'mon, it would be perfect!"

"It's gonna be a non-profit organization, Lando, something you may have never heard of. I'm not making any money from it."

Lando's eyebrows shot up. "_Non-profit?_ Why non-profit? I mean, you could just charge a fee or something…"

"Sorry, Lando, I'm not changing my mind. You can just keep up with your toy business or whatever it is that you're doing at the moment."

Lando was about to plead some more, when they heard footsteps coming toward them. They both looked up, and a moment later a camera was shoved into Han's face.

"General Solo, how do you feel about your wife's pregnancy?" the man with the camera asked insistently.

"How would you know anything about a pregnancy?" Han asked, giving the cameraman a threatening glare.

"Um…a creditable source told me. How _do_ you feel, General?"

"I feel like I'm gonna blast your camera into bits if you don't leave us alone," Han said as he reached to his side and grabbed his blaster, which he pointed straight at the lens.

"Uh, Han, that might not be such a good idea. He's a tabvid reporter, and you probably don't want that on H.V…"

"I know what I'm doing, Lando," Han said as he turned toward his friend. By the time he turned back the tabvid reporter had run off.

"I hope that doesn't backfire on you, Han. It could be pretty ugly," said Lando.

"I'm not worried. Let's go find Leia and the gang and get outta here. I think that the second building we looked at should be good, at least temporarily. Let's go back to the apartment."

They saw Leia, Luke, and Chewie ahead, all looking flustered. Chewie looked like he was ready to tear someone's head off.

"Did that reporter come over here? He was bugging me, so I turned my blaster on him," Han told them.

"You did **what**, Han! Do you realize the scandal that will cause?" Leia exclaimed, bewildered.

Han just shrugged.

"He came over here, and all I had to do was answer the questions! It was annoying, but I didn't **threaten** him!" she said, pacing around.

"It's not like I watch the holovison much, anyway. What's the big deal?" Han asked as he wrapped an arm around his wife. She glared up at him, but didn't shrug him off.

"You'd better hope that they don't use that, Solo. I have to say, though, I have a bad…"

"Don't say it!" everyone exclaimed in unison.

"Okay, I won't say it, but I do nonetheless."


	27. Chaos

**Chapter 27**

As soon as they got back to the apartment, Leia flicked on the holovision. She turned it to one of the less reputable channels, sat down on the couch with her hands behind her head, and waited for the chaos to begin. Her husband had not quite yet grasped the concept of having a public image, and she thought that this would definitely be a wake-up call for him.

The screen flashed, and a humanoid female with scaly skin and green hair appeared. "We have just received news that General Han Solo, husband of Senator Leia Organa Solo, has threatened one of our reporters."

The screen then flashed to the image of Han shouting at the reporter, pulling his blaster out, and pointing it directly forward. He was scowling at the camera, and as he put his finger on the trigger the screen went black.

A second later the anchorwoman appeared on the screen again and she looked ahead seriously. "It was reported that Solo's violent behavior stemmed directly from claims that his wife was pregnant. Though we do not know for sure the reason this would have such an adverse affect on his conduct, it can be speculated that he may not be the father of the child."

"In similar news, the claims that Senator Organa Solo is pregnant have been verified. When approached earlier today by the same reporter who was attacked by General Solo, she revealed the truth."

An image of Leia popped up on the screen; she looked annoyed yet dignified. Her stance was in complete contrast to her husband's.

"Senator Organa Solo, can you verify claims that you are pregnant? What are your feelings?"

"I did not want to be approached in this manner," Leia began. "However, the claims are, in fact, true. My husband and I are both very excited, and wish that the press would leave us in peace."

"Senator, can you explain your husband's violent behavior earlier? Has there been a disagreement? Or is it something more?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about. My husband is possibly even more excited than I am about the pregnancy. You must have your information wrong, or have your issues mixed up. Now, I would appreciate it if you left us alone, as we have business to attend to," Leia said as she turned toward Chewie and Luke. Chewie bared his fangs at the camera, and the screen went black again.

The anchorwoman spoke again. "We can only guess on what the situation is between the Senator and General. All we know is what you have just seen."

The news turned to a different topic, and Leia turned the holovision off.

"So, Han, _now_ do you know that what you did was stupid? Because of this, we're going to have to make a public statement explaining what you did and that we aren't having marital problems. You're going to have to learn how to control your anger in public, especially after you open up the agency."

"Okay, okay, you're right. But, what am I supposed to do, be nice to the jerk?" Han asked.

"Yes! When a reporter is asking you questions, they are _recording_ you. That means that they're going to put it out to the public, and you need to be on your best behavior."

Han rolled his eyes in response, and Leia turned to Chewie.

"Well, Chewie, now that we've taught laserbrains a lesson, or at least attempted to, why don't we go see your family? I haven't seen them since our wedding."

Chewie growled in response, and they headed out the door again. This time, a barrage of reporters and cameras met them outside.


	28. Unfounded Allegations

**ThePrincess04 – **Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it.

**Chapter 28**

Leia sighed and pushed Han ahead so that he was standing in front of the cameras.

"Explain yourself, Han," Leia said, exasperated.

"Oh, all right. But you owe me one," Han said before turning toward the blinding lights. _Jeez, you'd think that they would have developed better technology by now_, Han thought.

"Hey," Han started. "What you saw earlier wasn't really accurate. I mean, the guy just pushed up and got in my face and started asking questions that he had no business asking. It wasn't my fault…"

Leia elbowed him.

"Oh, all right. What I did was stupid. I should'a just answered the question, but I resorted to threats instead. I'm sorry."

"General Solo – what comments do you have on the state of your marriage? Is it true that it's falling apart?" one reporter asked.

"No, absolutely not," he said as he wrapped an arm around Leia's shoulders. "In fact, it's better than ever. Leia and me are both really excited to have a baby."

A reporter with a high-pitched, nasally voice stepped forward. "General Solo, how can we be certain that you are telling the truth? How do you even know that it's your baby?"

"Hey, don't you be bringing Leia into this. What I did to the reporter was _my_ mistake, not hers. Leia is the most caring and faithful woman in the galaxy, and anyone who knows her, or even knows of her would know that," Han said as his stance became stiff. His face was getting progressively redder.

"General Solo," another reporter said, "you never answered his question. How can we be certain that you are telling the truth? You just threatened a reporter a little while ago for asking about your wife's pregnancy. What would make you do that, other than acrimony toward her condition?"

Han responded through gritted teeth. "I have absolutely _no_ doubt whatsoever that my wife is having my child. I would have no reason to lie about something like this, and I would be making it pretty obvious if she ever betrayed me, which she never will. I said those things to the reporter because I wanted Leia to have her privacy. I thought that she should be able to tell the public about her pregnancy whenever she wanted, and not have everyone find out this way. Obviously, I was wrong, and I sure as hell won't do it again."

"Senator Organa Solo," a young, female reporter said, inching even closer to the couple. "Can you verify what your husband has said?"

"Yes. Everything that he said was true," Leia said, and they began to go inside the apartment.

"One second, General Solo!" a fresh-faced boy said, rushing up to them. "Is it true that you were going to open an adoption agency?"

Han nodded.

"Are you still going to open it, now that you have discovered your wife's infidelity?"

Han could not believe what he had just heard. Was this kid seriously asking him this question? Either the boy was having major hearing issues, or he was just plain stupid. Han rose to his full height and began walking toward him, right hand on hip. The boy backed away slowly, eyes wide. Han stopped walking, and stared at the quivering boy in amazement.

"Kid, that has to be the dumbest question I've ever heard in my entire life, and I've been from one side of the galaxy to the other," Han said before breaking out into hysterical laughter.

Leia, Luke, Chewie, Lando, and the reporters could not believe that Han hadn't punched the young reporter. His laughter was even more puzzling. As Han collapsed against the wall, clutching his stomach, Leia grabbed his arm and pulled him inside.

As soon as her husband was safely within their apartment, Leia turned to the reporters.

"That will be all. I can assure you that I have never been with anyone besides my husband, and any claims to the contrary are completely unfounded. I would appreciate it if you left us alone, and stopped trying to tarnish our happiness with outrageous allegations."

With that, Leia shut the door.


	29. Everywhere Threats

**Chapter 29**

Once everyone was safely within the apartment, Leia looked at Han incredulously.

"Han, what just happened out there?"

Han, still recovering from his laughing attack, grinned up at his wife. "I just thought that what the kid said was hilarious. Are people really that stupid?"

Leia smiled. "Well, some reporters can definitely have hard heads…like certain Corellians," she joked as she ducked the pillow thrown by her husband. "People just like gossip, and with the war over and not much to report on the news, these people are going to be reaching for any stories they can find. This isn't going to be the last time they come after us, you know."

"Yeah. Do you think the kids will have a tough time with it?"

Leia looked thoughtful for a minute, and then answered, "Maybe…at first. I think after a while people won't care all that much – unless they're like their father and go around threatening people, that is."

"That would be good. I think reporters need to be threatened more often – it makes life more interesting."

"I seriously hope you're kidding."

"Yes, I'm kidding. Well, about our kids doing it, that is. It would be funny if other people threatened reporters, though."

"Well, that's fine," Leia agreed and gave Han a quick kiss before turning to Chewie. "Chewie, why don't you have Malla and Lumpy come over here? I think we'll have a hard time making it over to them now."

Chewie nodded and went over to the com to talk to his wife and son.

Luke and Lando, deciding that the coast was clear, came over to Han and Leia.

"I'm glad you didn't punch that kid, Han. That would have been really bad for when you open the agency. Not that any of this is good," Lando said.

"Thanks, Lando. I guess," Han grumbled.

Luke was about to say something, when they heard someone at the door. Han looked at the screen, and groaned loudly when he saw who it was.

"Don't let them in. Whatever you do, don't let them in."

"Han!" Leia berated. "Of course I'll let them in!"

Leia slid the door open, and in walked (and rolled) See-Threepio and Artoo-Detoo.

"Why, Mistress Leia, I have heard the most interesting information on my journey from the Senate! Is it true that you are pregnant?"

"Yes, Threepio, it's true," she replied.

"Well, congratulations, Your Highness! I will be sure to update my programming to include the best childcare techniques. And Artoo will do…something."

Artoo, feeling insulted, whistled something to Threepio that basically stated that a child would rather be jettisoned out of a ship's garbage chute than be in his care.

"Why, you outdated pile of spare parts! As if _you_ have the ability to care for a child!"

Artoo beeped in affirmation.

"You would not last one minute watching a child! They would…" Threepio managed before Leia cut him off.

"Thank you very much for offering, Threepio, but you don't have to update your programming. I think Han and I can manage," Leia said.

"But, Mistress Leia…"

"Goldenrod, there's no way in hell I'm going to let you take care of my kid," Han proclaimed.

"Is it your child, Sir? I heard that someone else had fathered the child."

"Threepio!" Han bellowed. "One of these days…"

"It _is_ your child, Captain Solo? Maybe my circuits are malfunctioning. I was certain that I had heard that you were not the father."

Han rolled his eyes and turned to Leia. "I _told_ you not to let them in, Sweetheart."

Leia ignored the comment, deciding to help out the confused protocol droid. "Yes, Threepio, Han is the father. The information that you heard was wrong."

"Why, it seems rather indecorous for the news to provide false information."

"Yes, it is," Leia agreed.

With that, Threepio wandered off, confused, and Artoo rolled over to see Luke. A moment later, they heard the door chime again.

Han looked over, and smiled broadly when he saw the familiar faces of Lumpy and Malla on the screen. He slid open the door, and was engulfed by two pairs of hairy Wookiee arms.

"Hey! It's bad enough when one Wookiee tries to hug me, but I don't think I can handle two!" Han laughed. "It's great to see you two again."

Malla held Han back at arm's length as Lumpy stepped to the side.

So, my little Han is finally going to have a cub? You will make a fine father. Malla growled.

"Thanks, Malla. Though I don't think anyone actually believes I'm the father," Han replied.

Malla stared at him, confused. Why would anyone think that you are not the father of your mate's child?

"Well, I, uh, kind of threatened a reporter, and now all the news stations are saying that I did it because I'm not the father of Leia's baby. I tried to apologize and explain myself, but they just took their original story and ran with it, I think."

You should not listen to what others say about you, cub. No good can come from it. If you are happy, you should not allow others to take away from it.

"Yeah, that's what I'm trying to do. Thanks again, Malla."

Anytime, Han.

Han turned to Lumpy, who was trying to pretend like he wasn't listening to their conversation. Han grinned at the Wookie cub.

"So, kiddo, are you happy that you're going to have a cousin?

Lumpy nodded emphatically.

"That's good. Now you'd better set a good example for him, or else," Han said mock-seriously.

I will do my best, Uncle Han. Lumpy responded.

"I'm just kidding, don't worry," Han grinned as he moved closer, whispering. "Act your worst around the kid, we don't want him going soft."

"I heard that, Han!" Leia called from across the room.

"How'd she hear that?" Han asked Lumpy, amazed.

"You'd be surprised at what I can hear, Han," Leia said.

Malla strode over to Leia to offer her congratulations. I am happy that you are having Han's child, Princess. I have never seen him happier than he is right now. Since you came into his life, there is a light in his eyes that was never there before.

Leia hugged Malla tightly, thanking her.

Lumpy grinned at the diminutive princess, and said, Thank you for giving me a cousin to play with, Aunt Leia."

"The pleasure's all mine, little one," Leia smiled and ruffled his fur.

Once all congratulations were given, everyone gathered together for a great feast and celebrated the pregnancy without regard to the lies of the media.


	30. Alderaanian Brittle Crackers

**ThePrincess04 – **Thank you!

**HanSolosGal – **Im so glad you like it!_I love you Daisy! _I know. I love you, too! Only because youre reading this, though. ;) Just kidding.

**From-Heaven2Earth – **Thank you so much! Heres some more right now…

**Chapter 30**

That night, after everyone had left the apartment, Han and Leia went to bed. As they climbed under the covers, Leia suddenly remembered something.

"Han, have you talked to Ty lately? I missed him tonight. He should have been here with the family."

"Yeah, I talked to him yesterday over the com. I was just thinking that he should spend some more time with his new parents. Once he's used to them, we can go over and visit more often."

"I hope we don't have to wait too long. Do you think we made the right choice, not adopting him ourselves?" She stared into his eyes, hoping to draw out his true feelings.

"You know I would have liked to adopt him, but we've talked about this already. The Bengleys didn't have a child of their own, we do," he said, gently placing a hand on his wife's belly. "They deserve a little happiness in their lives, too. And we're going to be making a lot more people happy after we open our adoption agency."

"If they still let us open one, after all that bad press," Leia commented dryly.

"They will, unless they want to be facing three angry Wookiees, and one livid Corellian."

Leia grinned, and tilted her head forward to give Han a kiss. His lips met hers with spontaneous passion, and after basking in happiness for a moment she paused.

"Do you think we'll always be like this?" she asked in a whisper, overwhelmed with love for her husband, and terrified that what they had could fade in time.

"Do you really have to ask, Leia?"

He held her chin in his hand, and kissed her deeply, entwining his other hand in his wife's long tresses. As the kiss became more insistent, and passion engulfed her senses, Leia had absolutely no doubt as to what lay in their future. This was forever.

After they made love, Leia rested in Han's arms, all negative thoughts pushed from her mind. All her thoughts were on Han, the new baby, and Alderaanian brittle crackers. She wasn't really sure how brittle crackers had managed to enter her happy thoughts, but they were there all the same. She tried to push the thought of those delicious, sweet, and crunchy crackers from her mind, but her attempts were to no avail. The more she tried to ignore the tempting treats, the more the thought of them drove her mad. She had to have them. Sure, they didn't have any at home, and no stores would be open now, but when was the last time Han let her down? He would get them for her.

"Han," she entreated in her most sultry voice.

"Yeah, Leia?" he mumbled, on the verge of falling asleep.

"Will you do me a favor, if I give you a reward?"

He woke up a little in response to that. "Sure. Do you want your feet rubbed again?"

"No. I want you to go to the store and get me Alderaanian brittle crackers."

"What? You're joking, right? No store's open this late!"

"Well, maybe Luke has some. Or maybe Chewie – Malla told me once that he liked them for some odd reason. _Please_?" she begged.

"Why can't you do it? You're not exactly bed-ridden. You're not even two months pregnant yet!"

"But, Han…I'll give you a reward, remember? And you'll have my undying gratitude…"

"No, Leia. I'm sure everyone's asleep right now, anyway. Do you really want me to wake up Luke from his Jedi beauty sleep to get _crackers?_"

"Yes!"

"Well, I'm not going to. You can do it, I'm going to sleep," Han finished as he lay his head on the pillow.

"Solo!" Leia shouted, causing Han to jump back up. "You are getting me those crackers **right now!**"

Han, knowing he could never argue when she used her "princess voice," got up and dressed quickly. "Your reward had better be good, Princess," he warned before walking out the door.

Leia lay back down; content in the knowledge that she had Han tightly wrapped around her little finger. He was stubborn, but he always came through.

When Han returned, after waking up everyone he knew to ask if they had Alderaanian brittle crackers and finally finding them at Wedge's apartment (who somehow still didn't know about Leia's pregnancy so the request seemed more than a little odd), he found Leia in a deep slumber. He bent down and kissed her forehead, putting the crackers on the nightstand next to her. He got in bed and wrapped his arms around her, unable to stay mad at her, no matter how difficult an experience she had put him through.

_You've got it bad, Solo_, he thought to himself. Somehow, though, he didn't mind one bit.


	31. Holofilm Night

Darned apostrophe key isnt working so I have to use accents…

**SailorLeia – **Im glad youre still reading! Thank you so much for your nice comments! Hopefully youll continue to like where its going.

**Freetrader – **Thank you so much! **warning: nerd moment ahead** Ill be sure to try to keep the supply of the chapters equal to the demand.

**Chapter 31**

The next morning, Han woke up to find Leia sitting on the side of the bed, munching happily on the Alderaanian brittle crackers that he had procured for her the night before.

"You'd better enjoy those," he proclaimed suddenly, causing Leia to jump and almost choke on the crackers she was chewing.

"I em enzoying zem, zanks, sthweetie," she replied with a mouth full of crackers.

Han had to smile at that. "So, the revered Princess of Alderaan has stooped so low she now talks with her mouth full?"

Leia swallowed quickly so she wouldn't miss the chance to respond with her own jibe. "Some would merely blame it on the shady company she's decided to keep."

"Do you mean me, or one of your illicit affairs?"

"Oh, the illicit affairs, of course," she joked, glad that the whole media mess was becoming one big joke, rather than a big fiasco. Hopefully that would still be true when it came time to open up the adoption organization. She kissed Han quickly, and then went back to eating her beloved crackers. "That was really nice of you to get these for me last night…or this morning. I would have gone crazy if I hadn't had them."

"Well, that's good you appreciate them, because now Wedge thinks I'm crazy since I went into his place at 3:00 in the morning to get crackers. I'll never live that one down."

"Oh, I think you have bigger issues to worry about. Oh, Han, I almost forgot. Since tomorrow I have to go back to the Senate and you have to start setting up the agency, I got something special for us."

"Oh yeah?" Han said suggestively. "Like what?"

"A holofilm!" Leia cried, clapping her hands together.

"A _holofilm_?" Han asked, wrinkling his nose. "What's so special about that?"

"Remember that ride we went on in Corellia Land, where there was the droid that looked just like you?"

"_Yeah_…"

"Well, I rented the film! It's called _Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom_. It's from somewhere in the Unknown Regions. It's supposed to be really exciting."

"Well, it's worth a shot…" he said somewhat doubtfully.

"It'll be great! I promise."


	32. Comparing and Contrasting Clones

**Thejedistarfiregrayson – **Thank you! I'll be sure to keep updating!

**From-Heaven2Earth – **Thank you as well! Romantic comedies are the best. Here's some more right now!

**Chapter 32**

As the _Temple of Doom_ title appeared on the screen, Han experienced a strange feeling of foreboding. Maybe this Force stuff was rubbing off on him, or maybe he just knew his wife well enough to know that she was not going to make this an easy experience for him. Any movie that starred a man who looked to be his clone was bound to be a source of ridicule.

When his "clone," who was said to be a human named Harrison Ford (whoever _that_ was), appeared on the screen, Han relaxed for a moment. The man appeared to be an intelligent college professor. He guessed that maybe Leia could make a comment implying that Han was smarter than he acted, but he didn't really see any harm in that. Instead of making a comment, however, she proceeded to laugh uproariously.

"What's so funny?" Han demanded.

Leia stopped for a moment to look at him, but when she opened her mouth to respond, she only laughed harder.

"Seriously, what is so funny? Is it because he's a professor? Is that it?"

Leia was now literally rolling around on the ground laughing, reminiscent of Han's behavior among the reporters.

Leia was trying to force out words, with great difficulty. "It's…just like…seeing you…as a teacher. So…funny…" she managed before she completely lost her ability to verbalize.

"Oh, so the mere idea that I have intelligence is that funny to you?" Han grumbled.

Leia's lack of response (besides her continuing peals of laughter) was all he needed for an answer.

Han stood up and went to the door. "I'm leaving. Obviously I'm not _intelligent_ enough for this movie."

"No…Han…I'll…stop…I promise," Leia stuttered, still convulsing with laughter.

"Only if you promise to be mature enough to watch the movie without making fun of me," he growled.

"Sure…I'll try," she replied before breaking into another laughter fit.

"It wasn't funny in the first place," Han said to his wife as he kindly helped her back up on the couch. "You'd better behave yourself."

They began watching the movie again (though Leia would start giggling at random points, eliciting glares from her husband) – now Indiana was running with a blonde woman and a little boy through some very unappealing-looking foliage.

"Why is it always a blonde in these movies?" Leia asked.

"Why not?"

"Well, we brunettes need some representation too. We live in a Republic!"

"Maybe it was made during the Empire's rule. It is pretty old," Han suggested.

"That's no excuse."

"_Okay_," Han said, afraid that if he continued his argument Leia would have another hormone-enhanced fit. Appeasement was the answer.

Turning her gaze away from the woman, Leia looked at Indiana, and then at Han, then back at Indiana, whose build showed majestically through his strategically opened shirt.

"You know, Han, Indiana really has a nice chest," Leia said aloud, grinning as she anticipated her husband's response. She was in an especially sadistic mood.

"What, and I don't?" Han asked defensively.

"What, are you jealous?" Leia teased. "He is more muscular than you are…I must say he looks pretty good."

Han fumed silently, crossing his arms over his chest. He looked angrily in the other direction. He had agreed to see the movie, knowing that Leia would tease him, but he didn't think she was going to be _this_ annoying. What was it, "make fun of Han day?"

"Well, some of us have better things to do than work out all day," he sniffed.

"You could work out a _little_ more, though. You would look good with a little more definition, just look at him!"

"My 'definition' is just fine, thank you," he replied.

Leia was now getting tired of teasing him, and she put her hand on his shoulder as a sort of peace offering. "Don't worry, Han, I was just kidding. Your build is _perfect_."

Han looked away, unimpressed with her attempts at comforting him. Instead of trying to plead more, Leia turned his face back toward her and kissed him.

"If you don't know by now that I think everything about you is perfect, you'll never know. You need to stop taking things I say so personally," Leia said.

Han rolled his eyes. "Or you can stop making fun of me."

"But there's so much to work with!" Leia argued.

"I don't need to take this."

"I'm sorry, Han, let's just finish watching the film. It's getting to a really good part!"

Indiana and his companions were now moving through a temple similar to the ride in Corellia Land. They met up with a crazy clan of people who wanted to sacrifice them, and narrowly made an escape.

"I wish our lives were this exciting," Leia stated, leaning against Han, as his frustration had faded.

"Are you serious?" he asked, amazed that those words could ever come out of the mouth of one of the Alliance's leaders. "What about the war? Or did I marry the wrong Leia by mistake?"

She laughed. "I'm pretty sure you married the right Leia, but I don't know, maybe we could go on a peace mission sometime. Or maybe I could become an ambassador and we could travel all the time…on the Falcon, of course. We could bring the kids with us, too. It would be much more exciting than just arguing in the Senate all day."

"You know what, Leia? That actually sounds pretty good to me. I mean, I'm sure by the time that happened the adoption agency would be pretty much under control, and I could just com in any major decisions that I had to make."

"It's a plan, then?"

"Sure. Eventually, that is."

As the movie ended, Leia stood up and extended her hand to help Han up off the couch. Gripping his hand in her own, she led him into their bedroom.

"Now, Han, I can show you how much I love your body the way it is."


	33. Agency Opening

**GreatOne – **Thanks for reading again! I'm sure Leia isn't suffering too much having Han for a husband. ;)

**From-Heaven2Earth – **Thank you! I'm glad you liked it.

**Arwen Skywalker – **Thank you so much! I hope you continue to enjoy the story. Here's another chapter!

**Chapter 33**

Two months later…

The adoption agency was ready to open its doors today. After months of planning, renovating, preparing, and hiring, the day had finally come for the needy children of New Alderaan to have a chance for a real home and family.

Ty was there at the opening ceremony, as he was the little boy who had inspired its creation. He no longer bore the appearance of an orphan – he was dressed up nicely in slacks and a button-up shirt, and had his hair neatly trimmed. The only part of him that resembled the old Ty was his shining blue eyes, and even those had changed. They held a light within them that had been missing before – the light that is attained when a person knows they are loved, and love in return. Ty knew that he had a family and friends who cared about him deeply, and he wanted to help other children attain the happiness that he had found. He had decided that every day after school (he had proven to be a bright boy despite his lack of a formal education), he would help out at the agency. Han, the proud "boss" of the agency, was happy that his little buddy was willing to participate.

As the ceremony commenced, Han would periodically glance over at his wife, whose pregnancy was now visible. It was not obvious, as she was only in her third month, but she now definitely had certain roundness to her belly that had not been there before. Han smiled with the thought of how many times he had had conversations with her belly in the last couple months, a behavior that the "old Han" would have deemed as crazy. He still was not quite certain that his behavior was sane, but he held the conviction that his child could hear him speaking, and wanted him or her to "hear the voice of the most important man in the galaxy" as early in their life as possible. He thought the fact that his wife was carrying their child was fascinating, and he made it well known, inspiring the exasperation of Leia and the ridicule of his friends. He shifted closer to Leia and wrapped his right arm around her, placing a hand on her belly, upholding his role as self-proclaimed protector.

Leia looked up at him, and Han felt an acute yearning for the ceremony to end. He considered it to be boring and useless, but had agreed to attend the government-sponsored event in order to help improve his image. He hated the idea of attending the ceremony for that reason, but he wanted to become more respectable in the eyes of the people for Leia's sake. He was still suffering a backlash from his transgression with the media. Although they no longer doubted that he was the father of the child (it seemed apparent after he and Leia had been caught in an interesting position in the hangar bay storage room), they still talked about his threat of the reporter whenever they mentioned his name. He did not really see the correlation between threatening a reporter and attending a boring function, but he trusted that Leia knew what she was talking about. The part about the ceremony that annoyed him the most, however, was the fact that he was merely _attending_ it, when he should have been _organizing_ it. He hoped that the government would not be as intruding in the agency after it had opened.

Luke, Lando, Chewie and his family, the droids, and many important officials had attended as well. Everyone watched as the X-wings soared overhead in the Alliance's traditional welcoming of something new. The proceedings were now finished, and all that was left was a speech planned by Leia Organa Solo.

Leia ascended the podium that had been used by many officials during the ceremony, but this time, in contrast to those who had gone before her, all eyes were upon her with interest.

"My fellow citizens of the Alliance," she began. "Today we begin a new day, one in which the oppressed children of New Alderaan, and the galaxy, will have a chance to overcome all the wrongs set upon them and find a place of belonging, of love. This organization will enrich not only the lives of the children looking for a family, but also the lives of the lucky families who have the opportunity to raise these beautiful children, to change their lives forever.

"The Empire is dead, and part of its legacy is millions of orphaned or abused children throughout the galaxy. Our role as a peaceful republic is to ensure that these children are taken care of, and by starting here, in the capital, we show the rest of the galaxy who is really important to us…the people. The Empire lusted for power, wealth, and severity, while we yearn for peace, liberty, and love. I hope that all planets will follow our lead in adhering to these ideals and establish agencies of their own.

"I must add that we would not be here today, standing in front of this beautiful establishment, if it were not for the influence of two people whom I happen to love dearly. The first would be my husband, Han, who thought up and organized the agency. Han was an orphan himself, and through his love and experiences will serve to be an excellent leader for this organization. The second would be Ty Bengley, a boy we met on our trip to Corellia. At the time Ty was living on the streets, fending for himself, and he showed us the reality of orphaned children in the galaxy. If we had not met him and discovered what a kind and bright young boy he was, we probably would not be here today. Thank you, Ty and Han, for everything you have done for this wonderful establishment.

"I will conclude with the statement that I hope the people of the galaxy recognize the importance of agencies like this one, and continue to support them in spirit and in their actions. May the Force be with all of us."

Leia stepped down from the podium into a sea of applause, and Han hugged her tightly. The adoption agency was now officially open.


	34. A New Home

**Arwen Skywalker – **I'm glad that you like this story so much! Ty will continue to be in the story, though his part will become more minor.

**SailorLeia – **Thank you, thank you! I'm glad you're continuing to read this story!

**GreatOne – **Thank you!

**HanSolosGal – **'Ello to you too, poppet!

**ThePrincess04 – **Thank you! I'm glad you find it funny, not just weird. ;)

**Thejedistarfiregrayson – **Thank you so much! I'm glad that the dialogue is believable. I can't wait for RotS!

Here's one insanely mushy chapter…

**Chapter 34**

One week later…

Han was walking Leia slowly toward their destination. He was covering her eyes with his hands, which Leia protested against slightly, but she was smiling all the same. The last week had been really good; the agency was a huge success, and luckily for both of them, Leia's symptoms of morning sickness had been gradually subsiding. Since everything was going so perfectly, Leia had no idea what Han was going to surprise her with. It seemed as if they had everything already.

Han had still not removed his hands from her eyes, and Leia was starting to lose her patience. They had already walked for what seemed to be a kilometer this way, and she was tiring of it.

"Han, can't you just let me see? We must be there by now. What can be so important, anyway?"

"You'll see, Sweetheart. I promise you it'll be worth it," Han replied, exercising as much self-restraint as he could to not show Leia right then.

He led her a little bit further, until they approached their final destination. Han stopped, and as he saw that the sun had reached the perfect position, bathing everything in a soft light, he removed his hands from his wife's eyes. She gasped when she saw the completely unexpected - a large stone house, beautifully carved in the ancient Alderaanian style. The architecture was flawless, with arches and high bay windows adding to the elegance of the home. It was surrounded by a garden filled with some of Leia's favorite flowers – paloquais from Alderaan, francha blossoms from Corellia, and onellias from Ithor. A stone pathway wove from the entrance through the garden, and ended at an immense tree. The tree held a long wooden swing in its branches, which slowly rocked back and forth with the gentle wind. It was a paradise seemingly untouched by technology, a place they could actually call home.

Leia grasped Han's arm, speechless and uncomprehending of the sight. It reminded her of home back on Alderaan, so beautiful and full of life. Seemingly without her own volition, she led her husband to the swing, where they sat down together, Leia resting her head on his shoulder. She looked at the house, then at Han, then back at the house. She was sure that she was dreaming, but she felt that she should enjoy herself while she was here, and at least pretend it was real.

"Han…" she rasped, still trying to control her voice, choked up with emotion. "Han, is this…_ours_?"

"Yeah, it sure is."

"How did you have the time, the money…?"

"Well, as for the money, I can just say that I've got connections that made the whole money thing a non-issue. As for the time…do you remember all those times in the last month or so that I went to go work on the Falcon?"

"Yes," she replied, comprehension dawning. "You mean you haven't been working on the Falcon all this time?"

"Nope. I've been working on what I like to call 'Project Leia's Dream House.' I thought it was more important than working on the Falcon."

"More important than working on the Falcon? I didn't know that such a thing existed!"

"Yeah, well, she seemed to be running fine last time I checked, so I thought that she could just rest for a little bit. Told her that I had to focus on the other woman in my life," Han said with a grin.

"How'd she take the news?"

"Pretty badly at first, but once she realized how important you are to me, she let up a bit."

"We _are_ talking about the Falcon, right?"

"Yup. But let's change the subject for a bit, shall we? Do you like it? Do you think it'll be good enough for the kid and everything?"

"Oh, Han, I can't believe you need to ask! It's beautiful; it's perfect. There's no place I would rather live. There's no place I would rather have our children grow up."

"I thought you would like it. So, do you want to go inside? It's not empty or anything. I mean, we still need to move the stuff in from our apartment and all, but Lando got some people to do some decorating, so it's pretty interesting."

"You got _Lando_ involved? I'm afraid to look now."

"No, it's fine, I promise. I didn't let them do everything they wanted to. I mean, they wanted to paint the baby's room _pink_ for Force's sake. I told them no kid of _mine_ was going to have a pink room, and made them change the color. They were pretty upset, but I just reminded them of what I was going to do to the reporter, and after that they were fine with it."

"Han! You used that to threaten them? I thought you wanted to _avoid_ that incident."

Han shrugged. "Well, it got the job done."

Leia merely rolled her eyes, sure that one day she was going to lose the ability to roll them due to overuse. "What if we have a girl? Would you still be opposed to pink?"

"Well, a little pink would be fine, but you should have _seen_ the color they wanted to use. I'm pretty sure that paint has blinded people with its brightness at some point."

"Well, then I guess it's okay."

Han then took her hand in his, and led her to the front door of the house, which had "Solo" carved at the top in ancient Alderaanian script. Leia shook her head, amazed at how lucky she was to have Han as her husband, and brought him closer to her. Together, they walked inside.


	35. Realizations

**Chapter 35**

Leia could not believe what she saw upon entering the house. It was as if someone had taken the inside of her palace on Alderaan and somehow shrunk it and transferred it into their new home. The walls, the pictures, the furniture – everything looked and felt the same. Even the intangible elements of her old home were there. The love that had seeped through the walls and all elements of her palace was still there, but this time it came from a different source. Instead of coming from her father Bail, the love in this home came from her husband.

Leia was not usually an openly emotional person, but this time she could not stop the barrage of tears that fought to escape from her eyes. She sat down on the floor and wept, incurring the concern of her wonderful husband.

"Leia – Leia, are you all right?" Han asked, brow furrowing in genuine apprehension.

Unable to force her lips to form words, Leia stood up and wrapped her arms tight around her husband, wishing that she never had to let go. This was the single most beautiful and pure act of kindness that anyone had ever done for her. She had expected to feel some sadness because of the home's strong resemblance to Alderaan, but, on the contrary, she felt elated. This way, she was able to cherish and remember her memories of life on Alderaan, and pass them on to her children. She had always known there was something special about this man named Han Solo, but never in a hundred eons would she have thought that he was even remotely capable of so much love and devotion when she had first met him. She especially would not have believed that he held those feelings for her.

"You're not upset, are you?" Han asked.

Wiping tears from her eyes, Leia laughed. "No, Han. I'm so happy," she said, kissing him softly.

Han rewarded her with one of his unique grins. "Well, that's good. I thought you were going to freak out on me there for a little bit."

"No," she replied, starting to gain control of her voice. "Han…how did you know? How did you know what my palace looked like?"

"Well, Sweetheart, I had some help," he grinned as he pulled out holos of her old home. Leia gaped at them as she ran a finger across the only pictures she had seen of the palace in over four years.

"How did you find those, Han?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"I still have connections. I told them that my wife was really interested in Alderaan, and they sold them to me for a pretty reasonable price."

"How much? Wait…maybe I don't want to know."

"No, you don't. And anyway, I couldn't tell you if I wanted to. Smuggler's secret, ya know?" he replied with a wink.

"I have a hard time believing _that's_ a rule, but it doesn't matter. You're way too good to me, Han. There's no way I deserve all this."

"Why wouldn't I do all this for the woman I love? C'mon, let's go see the kid's room," Han said, feeling slightly uncomfortable with all the emotion Leia was showing.

"Of course."

Han turned to the left and led her down a hallway that held five doors, two on either side and one at the end. He took her hand and brought her into the second door on the right. Immediately she saw the crib and bassinet, and she was amazed at the sense of reality they gave her. She was really going to have a baby. Before now she had consciously known that she was pregnant, but the idea that she was going to be a mother and have a baby had not quite sunk in. This room was a catalyst for her realization of what was going to happen in the future.

Still gripping with her newfound sense of reality, she saw the mobile of Corellian ships gently turning above the crib, and the pale yellow on the walls. She wondered if they should find out whether the baby was a boy or a girl, so they could decorate the room more appropriately. As she mulled over that thought, she saw a rocking chair that sat in the corner, with a side table that held several of Han's tools. Evidently he had already tried the chair out.

She looked over her shoulder and saw the baby's closet. She opened the door, and was surprised to find the outfit that she had bought in Corellia Land was already in there. Han had certainly thought of everything.

"Well, I guess I don't have to have a baby shower anymore. It looks like you have everything covered already."

"Not likely, Sweetheart. I used to have a couple of acquaintances that had kids, and this is nothing. When they had their kids with them they used to bring bags of stuff around with them so big you could probably have fit the kid inside, and that was just their travel stuff. I never really hung around them too much 'cuz I thought they were crazy. I said I would never be like them, and, well…here I am."

"Wait…Han; don't tell me there were actually _smugglers_ who brought their kids around with them!"

"No, they were buddies I had before I became a smuggler. Don't worry – even smugglers aren't that crazy. I don't think too many people would be dying to hire a guy who brought his kids around with him."

Leia chucked. "No, I guess not," she said before sitting down on the rocking chair.

"Gettin' comfortable, I see," Han jibbed. "You don't want to see the rest of the house?"

"Of course I do. I'm just resting, that's all," she responded.

After a minute, Han grasped Leia's hand and pulled her up. "Let's go. I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to sit there after the baby's born."

"You mean _you_ will," she said, happy Han had been able to help her bring levity to the situation.

"Probably," he agreed.

He led her around the house, showing her the kitchen, the living room, and, of course, the master bedroom. Leia couldn't believe how enormous it was. It had a closet sufficient for all her outfits (which was quite an accomplishment) and a large refresher with a luxurious-looking bath. The center of her attention, however, was the huge bed. She nudged Han and winked at him slyly, kissing him quickly before flinging herself onto the mattress. It was extraordinarily soft, and she was about to close her eyes in complete relaxation when Han jumped on the bed, joining her.

She was so happy, she didn't even roll her eyes. "Thank you, Han. This is the first time since Alderaan that I've actually had a home."

"Hey, it was nothing. Do you think I wanted us to stay in that apartment for the rest of our lives? Hell, no. Of course I had to give you your own palace."

"_Our_ own palace, you mean. I like the sound of that better," she responded before leaning forward and kissing him avidly. She may have loved her new home, but nothing could compare to the love she held for her husband.


	36. Beauty Sleep

**The Real Leia – **Thank you so much! _I must say this is one of the best fic's I've ever read. _Wow! That's quite a compliment! Thank you!

I checked out your story, which is very good, but the only problem is I've never read any books by Tamora Pierce before, so I don't really

know the characters or anything. The books look very interesting, though!

**SailorLeia – **Thank you! You can keep repeating those words if you want, there's nothing wrong with them. ;)

**Arwen Skywalker** – Yes, it was sweet of Han, wasn't it?  When a lot of readers reply as you all have lately, I'm more likely to be less apathetic in getting up new chapters. Thank you!

**From-Heaven2Earth – **Thank you!Yep, there is definitely more. About 35 more chapters after this one. Well, hopefully you didn't have to wait too long for this one!

**Chapter 36**

As Han and Leia relaxed in their new bed, Leia began seriously thinking about whether or not she wanted to find out if their baby was a boy or girl. She hadn't really even thought about it before now, but seeing the baby's room permanently stuck the unrelenting question in her head. She unconsciously entwined her fingers with Han's – a gesture that she often made when she was thinking – and leaned back into him. She supposed Han should have a say in the matter, especially after all he had done for her today. She hadn't even asked him what the custom was on Corellia, so she had no idea how he would respond to the question.

She nudged him with her elbow, but he merely rolled over on his side, snoring. She clasped his shoulders and shook him, but he did not show any sign of awareness. Annoyed, she shook him a little bit harder, but this only caused him to snore louder.

"Han," she whispered, not sure exactly why she felt the need to. "Han…wake up. I have a question to ask you."

He merely snorted, and mumbled something that sounded like, "Sing to me, Chewie."

"Han," she said a little bit louder. When he still did not respond, she took her right forefinger and poked him in the shoulder, a gesture that she knew he hated, and was likely to rouse him. His eyes fluttered open, and his mouth turned from a slight smile into a frown.

"Why'd you do that? I was just sleepin', and you thought it would be a good idea to go and poke me?"

Leia nodded. "Han, sorry about poking you, even though I'm not really sure why that bothers you so much, but I have a question to ask you. Do you want to find out the sex of the baby while I'm pregnant, or wait until the birth?"

"Well, this certainly couldn't have waited," Han growled. "I don't know. I haven't really thought about it, to tell you the truth."

"I know. I hadn't thought about it either, until today. What was the tradition on Corellia? Did parents usually find out, or wait?"

"I can't really say that I'm an expert on Corellian methods of child-rearing, but I think most parents found out before the kid was born. Corellian's aren't usually very patient people, you know."

"Yes, I know that pretty well. So, what do you think, personally? Do you want to find out?" Leia asked, leaning forward in anticipation of his response.

"I'm kinda thinking about finding out, if you want to, that is. I think it would be more fun, knowing whether I'm talking to a boy or girl when I talk to your stomach."

Leia laughed, unsure of whether or not she wanted to unleash a knowledgeable Han on her belly. She decided then, however, that she did really want to find out whether their child was a boy or girl. She did enough conversing with her child with the Force herself that the idea of knowing whom she was talking to was very appealing.

"I _do_ want to find out, Han. Do you want to go have an appointment tomorrow?"

"Sure, but I think that it would probably make more sense for _you_ to have an appointment than me," he jibbed.

"Very funny," she replied, turning away from him in mock anger. He responded by wrapping his arms around her, placing his hands on her belly.

"Oh, Han," Leia sighed. "I can't even pretend to be mad at you right now." She sat back for a moment, before a realization suddenly hit her. "Han, what about the apartment? Don't we have to get everything out? I have all my clothes there, and all my papers for my meeting tomorrow, and all my work!"

"I know," he replied. "Don't worry, I took care of everything. I brought some of your clothes and stuff over here, and we can swing past the apartment tomorrow to get all your work. We can move out of the place by tomorrow night, if you want."

"Do you always think of everything, Han?" Leia asked.

"Yep, pretty much. So, is it a plan? We'll go to the doctor after work tomorrow and then move out?"

"Sounds wonderful to me."


	37. The Mystery

**Dovasary – **Thank you! I'll post the chapters as quickly as I can. Hopefully you never will have to come after me with your sweet hunting skills! If for some reason I can't finish posting (which is doubtful), I'll be sure that you all have access to the entire story.

**Thejedistarfiregrayson – **Hello, and thank you! Well, this is AU (of the EU), so I'm going to have different kid(s) for Han and Leia. I also don't go far enough into the timeline with this story for Jaina and Jacen to be born (as this is a few months post ROTJ, and the twins were born 5 yrs post ROTJ), so that's another reason. That doesn't mean that they couldn't be born later, though. Yay! ROTS is coming!

**GuardianofWilds – **Thank you! I agree, Leia definitely deserves to get what she wants after how much she goes through in the war. I checked out your story. Very good!

**The Real Leia – **Thank you! I'm glad that it doesn't drone…I'm always worried about that. Don't worry if you can't reply because of finals.I hope all goes well with your first H/L fic!

**HanSolosGal – **Wow! 5 times? That's devotion! I'm glad you love it so much! Thanks! Oh, there's a lot more people reviewing here now than there used to be. I love it!

**SailorLeia – **Thank you! Check out my reply to the **thejedistarfiregrayson **for what my position is on the kids. Thanks for reading!

**Arwen Skywalker – **Yup! You'll find out soon enough…thank you for reading!

**From-Heaven2Earth – **Good! Thank you! I love it when I make people happy! Yes, I was serious about the 35 chapters. I had fun with this story! Here's some more!

**Chapter 37**

That same night…

Luke rang the doorbell of Han and Leia's suite for the third time. He had called them several times throughout the night, and they had neither answered the phone nor called him back. He pressed the button again, and when there was no response, he began to worry. He had first called them over five hours ago, wanting to talk to them about a new idea that he had for the agency. It was not important, but when they had not responded to any of their coms and the privacy filters were not turned on, he began to suspect the worst. They were both important figures in the Alliance, and it did not require a huge stretch of the imagination to think of what could have been done to them.

_One more time_, he thought. _I'll ring one more time, and if they don't answer, I'm going to get in myself._

He pressed his forefinger to the button, hoping that one of them would open the door and save him from the anxiety, but after waiting for two minutes he knew that they would not respond. Luke closed his eyes and shoved upward with the Force, opening the apartment door with ease. He carefully walked inside with eyes half shut, hoping that he would not see anything that would scar him forever.

He surveyed the apartment and saw that nothing was really out of the ordinary. The apartment was fairly neat, with the exception of a few rags and containers strewn around (undoubtedly by Han). He saw no notes, and there was no evidence of any sort that someone had broken in. He did not feel anything suspicious with the Force, either, but his fear for his family made him all but disregard that useful asset. He made his way to the bedroom, and cautiously peeked through the open door. He saw some of Leia and Han's clothing on the floor, which was not all that unusual, until he saw ominous red stain on the carpet. That was all that took to get him to call Alliance Security. Luke was not usually this paranoid or suspicious, but anything in regard to his family made him act unusual.

The Security came about ten minutes later, finding an unusually scared Jedi Knight in the apartment. They surveyed the room, and quickly decided to deploy searchers to look for the missing couple. This was the first incidence of this sort in the history of New Alderaan, and everyone was bound to be overly suspicious. Within a half hour the city was frantic in their search for the two Alliance heroes.

Meanwhile, Han and Leia were happily asleep in their new bed. Han had left all their coms at the apartment and no one was aware that they were here, so they were guaranteed to not have any disturbances. Leia rolled in her sleep, bringing herself closer to Han's body. They were an image of peace, unaware of the chaos that was happening outside.

Suddenly, a screeching wail tore through the walls of the home, unceremoniously wrenching them away from sleep. Han jumped up, instincts still honed from years of living as a smuggler, and he quickly threw some clothes on to go see what was going on. Leia was quick on his toes, and the two robed figures walked outside to an almost eerie sight.

Ships flew high above the city, shining their lights on everything in their path. Alarms rang, broadcasting fear to anyone within a ten-kilometer radius. There were thousands of lights glowing near the main part of town, and it seemed as if the entire planet was awake. Han and Leia had no idea what could have caused this. They knew, however, that they had to go see what was going on. The two of them hopped into the speeder that Han had parked nearby and flew into Capital City. A few kilometers into their flight they saw a person searching, and they stopped to see what was going on.

"Excuse me," Han said. "Do you know what's goin' on around here? Why's everyone searching?"

"Well, it seems as if Senator Organa Solo and General Solo have gone missing. No one knows where they are, and people found blood in their room. They think that they've been abducted."

"Are you serious? They're looking for _us_?"

The man laughed uncomfortably. "I don't think so. They're looking for the Solos."

"But we _are_ the Solos!" Han said.

"Ha! Nice one, pal. It's not funny, though. They might be abducted, and you're here makin' jokes. Get outta here, before I com someone important."

"It's okay, Han. Let's go back to the apartment and straighten everything out. We need to stop this searching before it becomes a galactic emergency," Leia said.

"Okay," Han replied, and then he drove off at top speed toward the apartment.

Once they reached the building, they jumped out and saw that the area was surrounded by Security. They approached them, and saw Luke talking to one of the officers.

"Luke!" Leia cried. "Luke!"

Luke turned around, and ran toward Leia, grabbing her and holding her in his arms.

"Leia, where were you? Everyone was so worried."

"Han surprised me with a new house a few kilometers away from the city. He left all the coms at the apartment so we could have some peace and quiet for a while. Can we not go away for a little while without it being a planet-wide emergency?"

"Obviously not," Luke responded, laughing a bit. "Let me go fix this mess and then you can tell me everything. I can't believe you two are all right."

After Luke had told some very testy Security officers what had happened, he turned to Leia and Han.

"So, Han, you really went and got Leia a new house? And didn't tell anyone?"

"Well, I really didn't think Mr. Jedi would overreact so much. And, yeah, I did get her a house. Figured we needed one, with the new kid and all."

"Well, you sure have come a long way, buddy," Luke mused. "But what about the blood on the ground?"

"What blood? I might've spilled some of Leia's red nail polish on the carpet or something when I was getting her stuff together to bring to the house. No big deal."

"Wait…Han, you spilled _nail polish_ on the carpet? You do realize that doesn't come out, right?" Leia asked.

"It doesn't? Oh well, at least we won't be living there anymore," he replied.

"That doesn't matter. It'll have to be completely re-floored if anyone is going to buy it!"

Han merely shrugged. Leia was not quite capable of being mad at him yet, so she decided to change the topic of conversation.

"Luke, tomorrow we're going to go to the doctor's office to find out the sex of the baby. Do you want to go with us?"

"I would love to, Leia. Are you sure you want me to go?"

"Of course! You are going to be the uncle, after all," Leia said, causing Luke to grin from ear to ear.

"Well, now that everything's perfect, why don't Leia and I head back to the house and sleep a bit? It's not like there's anything here for us to do."

Just as the words came out of his mouth, a group of frantic people saw them and ran over.

"It's them! Where were you? What happened?" they asked all at once.

Han had a feeling that it was going to be a long night, whether or not they wanted it to be.


	38. Boy or Girl?

**Chapter 38**

The next morning (after desperately trying to keep Security from killing Luke and fighting off hoards of crazy people wanting to see the threesome up close) the three of them headed for the medical ward. Han had checked in early that morning (as none of them had slept at all) to make sure that Leia would be able to get in, and they had said that there would be no problem. Han suspected that, like at the medical center on Corellia, this was partially due to Leia's position as Senator - but he was not complaining. Anything that eliminated pointless paperwork and long waiting lists was fine with him.

The droid at the front desk took Leia's name, and the group sat in the waiting area. Several worn-out chairs were placed randomly throughout the room, and each one had a table beside them that held numerous outdated holo-mags. A few of the holo-mags had pictures of Han and Leia on the front page. They were from a month or two ago, and were about Leia's pregnancy and Han's reasons for threatening the reporters. It seemed like such a long time ago now.

As if the visitors needed more entertainment, a sound system played soft music that attempted to recreate popular tunes, but instead grated on the nerves. Leia wondered why they didn't just play the songs in their original form. After listening to the "music" for what seemed to be the longest amount of time a human could bear, the droid called their name. The three stood up, with Han looking noticeably frazzled.

Luke chuckled at his brother-in-law's appearance and nervousness. He knew a side to Han that few others did, and he felt privileged. He knew no one else who was as dedicated to his friends and family as Han, and he doubted any of the reporters or politicians (besides Leia) on New Alderaan had the slightest idea of this. Most people naïvely judged Han based on his past or outward appearance alone, and he believed that to be a shame. Han was the best friend he could have.

The nurse tried to keep Luke from entering Leia's room, claiming that only the mother and father could go in, but Han and Leia were adamant that he should be allowed to go in. The nurse looked miffed, but he gave in and let Luke stay, undoubtedly afraid of what would happen if he crossed a Jedi Knight. He told Leia to sit down on the bunk, performing a few necessary tests, and a few minutes later the doctor came in. The doctor was a female human of about fifty standard years, with short brown hair, gray eyes, and a kind smile.

"Leia Organa Solo - is that correct?" the woman asked with a slight grin, apparently very well aware of whom she was talking to.

"Yes," Leia replied.

"Well, Ms. Organa Solo, it says here that you are approximately 3 months pregnant, is this correct?"

"Yes," Leia repeated.

"And you are here to find out the sex of your child, correct?"

"Yes."

"Perfect. My name is Doctor Gharen, and if you have any questions at all you may go ahead and ask. We can start now, if there are no objections."

"None from me," Leia said. "Do you have any objections, you two?"

Han gulped, but shook his head; Luke followed suit.

"Okay, let's start. I am going to roll this indicator along your belly, and your baby will appear at this screen to your left. Would you please lift your shirt?"

Leia followed the doctor's orders, lifting her shirt slightly to expose her belly. Doctor Gharen took the indicator and slowly rubbed it around the womb area, and almost immediately the screen displayed a tiny figure. Leia, Han and Luke gasped, amazed at the image before their eyes. The baby obviously was not very developed and barely bore resemblance to what it would undoubtedly look like at full term, but to the three of them the child was the most beautiful sight they had ever seen. They were still fixated on the screen when the doctor proclaimed, "Congratulations! You are going to have a boy!"

Han turned, trance broken by the doctor's words.

"Wha-what did you say?" he stuttered.

"Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Solo; you are going to have a boy!"

"A b-boy?" Han repeated, shocked.

Leia reached for Han's hand, a smile appearing on her face that looked unlike any he had ever seen. This one somehow looked more complete. It was an infectious smile, and Han soon found his shock and sense of unreality disappearing. A full grin appeared on his face, and he moved closer to her, kissing her and taking her hand. Luke moved closer as well, grinning like the farm boy he had once been.

"I'm going to have a nephew!" he exclaimed, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, you are," Han said, playfully slapping his brother-in-law and best friend on the back before turning his emotional gaze back to his wife. "And we're gonna have a son."


	39. Not Seeing Things

Here's a new post in time for RotS, and because I really don't feel like doing homework right now!

**SailorLeia** – Thank you! I'm glad you liked it!

**GreatOne** – I'm sure Luke blushed (though Han was probably excited!). I'm glad you still like it the second time around!

**Dovasary** – Yeah, it would be intense to be famous. I'm glad you're enjoying this! To clarify, the EU is the expanded universe, as in the pro novels and comics, etc., while AU is "alternate universe," basically meaning that certain parts of the story, or the storyline in general, do not follow what is understood to be fact in Star Wars (usually the movies). As I do not follow the EU anymore I would not classify this story as a general AU because I attest that everything in the movies happened before this story takes place, but some more "into" the EU might consider it AU because of New Alderaan, Han and Leia being married and having a child earlier, etc., which were not true in the novels. Therefore I try to clarify by saying that this is "AU of the EU." I probably just confused you more there, but I'm sure you'll get used to the lingo soon enough.

**The Real Leia** – Aww, don't cry! But thank you! Yes, I checked out your story, and I do believe that I replied.

**Arwen Skywalker** – Yup, they are! Here is hopefully another funny chapter. Thank you for reading!

**From-Heaven2Earth** – Glad you're happy it's a boy. Most stories have Han and Leia have a boy first? That's funny – part of the reason why I had them have a boy first was because I though they had a girl first in most stories. Interesting. Well, here's more!

**Chapter 39**

Leia, Han, and Luke left the medical facility in a haze. Walking down the busy streets of New Alderaan, none of them made a sound. They were so absorbed in their thoughts of the baby, that they almost didn't see the three giant walking carpets that were hurtling toward them.

"Whoa – Chewie!" Han yelped. "Where did you come from?"

Kashyyyk. And I believe you came from Corellia, the Wookiee responded with a chuckle.

"Very funny, furball," Han replied with a roll of his eyes. "I mean you just kinda appeared – where were you?"

We have been coming straight toward you for about 200 meters. We did not 'just kinda appear.' Do you have something on your mind, cub?"

"Yeah. I do," Han replied, looking uncharacteristically dreamy.

Would you like to tell me, or do I have to throttle it out of you?" Chewie asked jokingly.

"Okay, okay," Han laughed, putting his hands up. "I'll tell you. Luke and me just took Leia to the medic, and we found out the sex of the baby."

"Well…?" Chewie began in anticipation, Malla and Lumpy leaning forward to hear.

Han grinned. "We're having a boy."

Chewie, Malla, and Lumpy roared and rushed to give Han a hug. Han backed away, knowledgeable of what could happen with three excited Wookiees coming toward him. Luckily, they decided to give him individual hugs, saving him from crushed ribs. They then eagerly hugged Leia and Luke.

Chewie, Malla, and Lumpy had decided to stay on New Alderaan for a while instead of going back to Kashyyyk. They figured that they would be visiting enough that they might as well get used to living there. Plus, Chewbacca still felt indebted to his bond-brother, regardless of the number of times that he had upheld his life-debt and saved Han's life. He did not enjoy spending too much time away from his best friend, either.

After the excitement had died down a bit, Chewie remembered why they had been looking for Han. Han, why was everyone looking for you last night? We were going to go look for you, but they said that you were found and they were not letting anyone near the area.

"Oh, let's just say that a kid by the name of Skywalker freaked out and thought that we'd been _kidnapped_ when we'd only been gone a few hours. Then said kid called Security because of red _nail polish_, which somehow was thought to be blood by everyone in the building."

Chewbacca's response was a hearty laugh. You would think that someone would realize that it was nail polish, wouldn't you?

"Yeah, you would. I guess they all just thought that Mr. Jedi was all-knowing, huh?"

"But, Han, I _am_ all-knowing!" Luke proclaimed, raising his chin to the sky loftily.

"No, Luke, I think you're confusing yourself with the Han man," Han countered, pointing his thumb at his chest.

Leia stepped into the conversation, shaking her head at the two men's antics. "The _Han man_? I really hope that our son doesn't have your ego, Han, or I'm going to be having incessant headaches for the next eighteen years."

"Eighteen years, huh? So you're already planning on givin' him the boot after he's a legal adult?"

"If he's anything like his father, it's more than likely," Leia rebutted wryly. She paused for a moment, and then gave Han a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'm just kidding, dear. I'm sure he'll take after his mother," she said, running off before he had a chance to grab her.

"Ah, I was beginning to miss your little sly remarks about me. What'd it take, a day?" Han asked his wife.

"Yes. It's a new record, I think," she replied with a wink. "I haven't had too much backup for my claims lately, though. Chewie – did you know that Han got me a house?"

Instead of answering, Chewbacca looked in the other direction; afraid he was going to break his promise to Han.

"Wait, you knew?" Luke asked, annoyed. "What is this, the 'Keep Secrets from Skywalker Society?'"

"Aw, Luke, you know that you wouldn't have been able to keep it from Leia. You have that mystical twin thing, and all."

"I guess. It would have been nice for you to have told me before you left, though."

"Sorry, Luke. Hey, I just realized that the whole gang is almost here. With our luck, Lando and the droids are going to come around the corner within seconds."

"Captain Solo!" a prissy voice sounded nearby. "Is that you, Sir?"

"Oh, I knew I shouldn't have said anything," Han groaned.


	40. Annoyances

**The Real Leia – **Actually, I_did _figure out her "condition" early. In the second chapter when she was thinking about how her dress didn't fit properly, I thought, "she's pregnant!" I just didn't want to give anything away for anyone who hadn't figured it out yet.  You stole from my book? Why, what an honor! New chapters abound!

**GreatOne** – Nope, he never really can. He seems to be the one person who Threepio is constantly after.

Here's another chapter!

**Chapter 40**

See-Threepio and his counterpart, Artoo-Detoo, approached the increasingly large group with apparent urgency.

"It _is_ you, Captain Solo!" Threepio exclaimed. "I am so glad to have found you."

"Oh, and I'm ecstatic to see you too, Goldenrod," Han replied, voice full of sarcasm.

"Well…thank you, sir. I have been searching everywhere for you. I have received a message from the adoption agency that you are needed right away."

"What do they need me for? Everything is under control now," Han grumbled.

"It seems as if someone by the name of Ty Bengley requests your presence. I do not know why he asked for you specifically, but I suppose because you are the founder…"

"Ty asked for me? Why didn't you just say so?"

"Well, I wasn't quite aware that you knew him, sir. I was just performing my duties…"

Han was now walking briskly in the direction of the New Alderaan Adoption Agency, yet he was not going to pass up an opportunity to argue with the golden protocol droid.

"Since when has it been your duty to take messages for me? I was kinda under the impression that you did stuff like that for Leia."

"Well, Captain Solo, it was in fact Princess Leia who requested that I check in occasionally when you are not there. I did not wish to cause offense."

"Oh, _Princess Leia_ requested that, did she?" Han asked, shooting a dark look at his wife.

"Yes, she did indeed. Isn't that right, Artoo?"

Artoo beeped and rolled back and forth on his wheels in confirmation.

"You see, sir?"

"Yeah, I see. And you can go ahead and ignore anything she asked you to do for me. I can check my own messages, thank you very much."

"Oh, you're welcome, sir. I do not see why, however…"

"Zip it, tin can. So, any other secrets I should know about, Your Worship?" Han drawled, drawing his attention to Leia.

"No, I don't have any more secrets than you do. You really should let Threepio help you, Han. I know how bad you are about checking your messages."

"Oh, so _now_ all I get is complaints. Don't you need him during Senate meetings, anyway?"

"Yes, but I'm only in meetings part of the time. You don't seriously think that I let Threepio stay with me in my office, do you?"

"No, otherwise you'd be coming home with a lot more headaches, that's for sure," Han grinned, forgetting about his annoyance at Leia in favor of their shared mockery of Threepio.

"And he'd have a few more dents from various items that I'd thrown at him from my desk," Leia added.

"Then the media'd get on your back for droid abuse."

Luke spoke up from his place among the fast-paced crowd of friends. "Oh, you guys shouldn't be so mean to poor Threepio…even if he is possibly the most annoying droid in the galaxy."

"My word!" See-Threepio cried. "I was not aware that my abilities as a protocol droid were so lacking! I can update my programming, if you wish."

"Threepio, I think it's more your ability to shut up that's lacking rather than your abilities as a protocol droid," Han jibbed.

"Why, Artoo, I do not believe that I will ever understand that man," Threepio sighed.

Han grinned in satisfaction.


	41. Babysitting

**From-Heaven2Earth – **Thank you! Here's some more now!

**SailorLeia** – Gracias! I like putting in Chewie and his family into the story every now and then – they tend to get ignored in the profic. And Threepio is just so pick on-able!

**ThePrincess04** – Thank you! Yes, Threepio is definitely misunderstood or mistreated by most (namely Han).

**Thejedistarfiregrayson **– Thank you! Yes, I've seen ROTS once (midnight opening showing), and I'm planning on seeing it again tomorrow. It's awesome! I'm glad you're enjoying this!

**Chapter 41**

The group had finally reached the entrance to the agency, with Han in the lead, when an excited Ty ran up to them and grabbed Han in a hug.

"Whoa, buddy! What's up?" Han asked, not sure whether to be concerned or happy.

"Can I stay with you guys, please?" Ty blurted, eyes wide and hopeful.

"Wait, is this the only reason you called us in? To ask if you could stay with us?" Han inquired, almost annoyed.

"Yeah," Ty said. "So, can I?"

"What did your parents say? And why are you here without them?"

"I'm working here!" Ty said proudly.

"You're _working_ here? I think you're a little young, kid," Han chuckled.

"No, really I am. My parents both have to work today, so I asked them if I could stay here, and they said yes."

"But who's watchin' ya, Ty? I don't think that your parents should have just left you here."

"Mr. Hemra said he would watch me," Ty said, pointing to a white-haired man who lifted his hat in salute upon hearing his name. "I really don't need anyone to watch me, though. I was on my own for a long time, you know."

"Yeah, I know. I guess you can hang out here with me," Han declared, scratching his head. "But why do you want to stay with us? There's not a problem, is there?"

"No, not really. My parents said that we were going on a vacation, and I told them that I'd rather stay here with you. They said I could, if you were okay with it."

"Of course I'm okay with it! But why don't you want to go on a vacation? I'm sure it would be a lot of fun."

"No, it wouldn't. My parents are going to go someplace boring to look at museums and stuff. I want to stay here instead."

"Well, if you're sure that you don't want to go, kid. I have to ask Leia, though," Han added, already knowing what the answer would be. Leia's soft spot for the little boy was just as large as his.

"Of course you can stay with us, Ty. We have a big house now, so you can have your own room to stay in. When did you want to come over?" Leia asked.

"Tomorrow!"

"Tomorrow? Short notice, huh, buddy?" Han said, ruffling the little boy's hair.

"Yeah, sorry," Ty mumbled, looking at his feet.

"It's fine, Ty," Leia soothed before turning to Han. "Han, I have to go to the apartment right now and get ready for the Senate meeting. We're still moving out this afternoon, right?"

"Right."

"I'll see you then, flyboy," she said, kissing him on the cheek. "Love you."

"Love you, too."

A teasing chorus of "awws" came from the crowd of friends, but the couple chose to ignore them.

"You sure you don't need me to go with you?" Han asked Leia.

"I'm fine, Han. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"Don't worry, Han, I'll be her escort. I'll keep her away from all the roving bands of pirates and evil shrubbery that we may encounter along the way," Luke chimed in, taking Leia's arm in his.

"You'd better. I saw some pretty suspicious-looking bushes along the way here," Han countered.

Luke laughed. "See you, Han," he said as he and his sister went out the door.

"Artoo and I will go with Master Luke and Princess Leia. Perhaps I know the shrubs' dialect!" Threepio said as he and Artoo followed the pair outside.

Han looked at Chewie. "Was that a joke?"

Chewie shrugged. That droid always surprises me. It is certainly possible, he replied.

Han shook his head in disbelief. "Maybe that bucket has some brains after all. Though I'd never say that to his face, of course."

Of course not, Cub. I'll keep it a secret, Chewie replied. We should be going as well. I think a certain little cub's favorite holovison show is on."

Lumpy nodded his head emphatically. Chewie hugged Han once again, and then the three Wookiees departed.

"So, looks like it's just you and me, huh, kid?" Han said, rewarding Ty with a lopsided grin.

"Uh-huh. So, can I help you with something?"

"Sure. You can help me run the place today. You want to be boss for the day?"

"Yeah!" Ty replied enthusiastically.

"Well, then, let's get to work."


	42. Meteor Madness

**SailorLeia **– Thank you! I'm glad you thought it was funny! Yup, the NJO has messed up things pretty badly, hasn't it? Well, don't worry about writing too much – I ramble on and on all the time.

**thejedistarfiregrayson – **Thank you! I love it when readers think the story is funny! People think I'm crazy too, eh, you get used to it. ;) May the Force be with you, too!

**From-Heaven2Earth** – Hehe…hopefully it goes the good way! Here's more!

**HanSolosGal** – Sup wit chu? I'm glad you liked the chapter.

**TheRealLeia** – Whoa, whoa, calm down. Everything is going to be all right. Ty's parents just went away for a while. It's okay. Breathe. hands over paper bag

**Chapter 42**

The next day, Ty arrived at Han and Leia's new house with packed bags and a wide grin. They had told him that he would even have a room to himself, which only increased his excitement. It seemed Ty would be visiting often from now on, so the extra effort was not likely to prove futile.

Han and Leia greeted the boy at the front door, and as he stepped inside the house he took a moment to examine his surroundings. Han and Leia had removed all their possessions from their apartment the day before, and everything was now transferred into the new home. The furnishings were lavish and coordinated; the home looked like a palace. Even though Ty was no longer the "poor little street urchin," the sight of the home astounded him.

"This is the house you guys are gonna live in?" Ty croaked.

"Yeah," Han grinned.

"Wait, I thought you said you were gonna decorate it, Han."

"I did! Well, I had _some_ help. Not too much, though. I did most of it on my own," Han claimed.

"I don't think so. Maybe you hooked the holovision up…" Ty began as the sight of the giant screen caught his eye. He rushed toward the device and immediately began searching the many options that it provided. "Does it have games?" he blurted.

"Yeah, it does. Since when are you so interested in hologames?"

"I have them at my house. I play them all the time. They're so cool!"

Han and Leia exchanged amused glances. This was certainly not the Ty that they had met months ago. He sounded like a "normal" boy now that he had shed his insecurities.

"Why don't you and Han play a game together, Ty? I've heard only the best about _Meteor Madness_ from Han," she suggested with a wink.

"You have _Meteor Madness_? Cool! Do you want to play, Han?" Ty asked.

"Of course, Kid!" Han agreed as he sat down with the boy, grabbing a control device. "But you know that no one can beat me, right?"

"I don't know about that! I play _Meteor Madness_ all the time!" Ty boasted as he too snatched a control.

The two guys started playing, both lost in the game as the competition grew. They showed utmost concentration as the meteors came precariously close to their ships, and cried out in joy or frustration at various points. Leia had to laugh at how serious they were taking the game, though it did look pretty fun. Maybe she would join in next game.

Leia watched as the ships rapidly darted around the meteors, and saw one of the ships skim too close…seconds later it exploded in a blaze of fire.

"Ha!" Ty exclaimed. "I beat you!"

"I can't believe it!" Han said, throwing the control down and raising his arms up in disgust. After he did it, however, he turned around and winked at Leia.

Leia decided to join the game. It looked fun, and playing it had to be more enjoyable than watching it.

"Count me in this game, boys," Leia told them.

"Okay…do you know how to play?" Han asked.

"No, but I'm a fast learner. Give me a control and leave the rest to me," Leia stated confidently.

"You're starting to sound like me," Han said, but followed her request nonetheless.

Leia took a control from Han and sat down next to them cross-legged. Ty restarted the game, and the three of them began playing.

"You're going down, Solo," Leia boasted, skillfully whipping her ship around meteors.

"I know you are," Han cracked.

"You know what I mean," Leia replied, not taking her eyes off the screen.

"I know what you mean, but it's not gonna happen," Han countered.

Han and Leia were so caught up in their competition that they did not realize that Ty's ship had exploded. Ty sat back and watched the husband and wife battling, oblivious to everything but their ships and the meteors on the screen. Leia's ship narrowly missed a meteor, drawing triumphant cheers from Han, but Leia got the last laugh. While Han was gloating over his superior flying skills, a meteor came crashing toward him, destroying his ship.

Han stared at the screen, jaw nearly on the ground. How did he, the best pilot in the galaxy, lose to Leia, who had no piloting skills whatsoever?

"Best two out of three," he pleaded.


	43. Cooties

**From-Heaven2Earth – **Thank you! Oh, I definitely have my blonde moments, believe me. I'm glad you liked those lines!

**HanSolosGal** – Hehe…how many times have you read it? Now I'm writing the paper about the battle of the sexes, so it's funny that this chapter seems to fit in there. If only I could find a way to fit Star Wars in!

**SailorLeia** – Thank you! Those two were always competitive, so I'm sure there would be some interesting battles! As the Spice Girls said, "Girl Powa!"

**Thejedistarfiregrayson** – Thank you! I'm glad you liked it! May the Force be with you as well!

**Person place or thing** – Thanks! Well, I already have the protection of several Oompa Loompas, so I'm not sure yours could break through my solid defense. Here's an update anyway, though!

**C h a p t e r 4 3**

Han waited for Leia to reply, confident that she would let him play against her two more times, and that he would beat her in both games. His wife, however, wasn't so conciliatory.

"No, I won," Leia replied, crossing her arms in defiance.

"C'mon, Leia. You know that you only won because I wasn't paying attention. That's not a good way to win, is it?"

"It's your own fault if you weren't paying attention," Leia admonished.

"Hey, Ty," Han entreated, grasping at straws to preserve his dignity. "You agree with me, right? We should have a rematch, huh?"

"Uh, I don't know. She _did_ win…" Ty stammered.

"Hey, Kid, I thought you were on my side!"

"Humph. And you said you weren't a sore loser," Leia sniffed.

"I never said that!" Han grumbled, glaring out the window in defiance. His childish fit was almost cute, and Leia intended to use it to her advantage.

"Oh, poor Hanny," Leia cooed, sauntering toward him and wrapping her arms around his neck. "Winning isn't everything, you know."

"Or maybe it is!" Han argued, merely because he wasn't willing to concede her point.

"Is it more important than having a happy wife?"

"Maybe not, but it is if she's happy because she beat me!"

"But what if beating you makes her more…amorous?"

"Well, if that's the case, then maybe…" Han began, before he was cut off with a passionate kiss from his wife. When she pulled back, Han's mood had magically transformed from testy to…not testy.

"Okay, Your Highness, you can beat me any time you want," Han grinned.

A flash of fabric was barely visible as the little boy sprinted from the room.

"Ty, it's okay. You can come back," Leia called to the disgusted child.

"That's okay, I found my room. I'll see you when you're done kissing!" Ty said.

"See ya in a few hours, Kid!" Han replied.

"Han!" Leia scolded. "We'll save it for later. Ty's only been here a little while."

"So much for amorous," Han muttered.

"Ty, we're done kissing. Don't worry," Leia soothed.

Ty entered the room slowly, making sure that Leia was telling the truth. When he saw that the coast was clear, he went over to them and sat on one of the couches.

"You need to tell me next time you get all yucky," he insisted.

"We will, don't worry," Han told him, not as angry as he would have normally been.

"Ty," Leia said, taking a seat next to him. "Did you know that our baby is a boy?"

"No. Really?" Ty asked, excitement visible in his wide blue eyes. "And we can play games together?"

"Of course, Ty," Han promised, coming toward the two and ruffling the boy's hair.

"And maybe he'll be lucky and get his hologame skills from his mother," Leia jested.

"Hey! I was _gonna_ beat you! You probably used your Jedi powers against me, anyway," Han claimed.

"Oh, sure. It's all the Force's fault, isn't it?" Leia said, rolling her eyes heavenward.

"I don't think she did, Han. I think she actually beat you," Ty teased his hero.

"Oh, yeah?" Han said, knowing an easy way to get back at Ty. He leaned toward Leia, put a hand gently behind her head, and softly kissed her, conveying as much love and tenderness as possible.

"Aaahhh!" Ty shrieked as he bolted out of the room.

Han decided that Leia beating him wasn't so bad after all.


	44. Storytime

**Chapter 44**

After hours of playing games and watching holofilms, Han and Leia started preparing Ty for bed. Once he was all washed up they all sat down on one of the couches in the main room, with Ty between Han and Leia. Han found a book that he thought Ty would like and would help get him to sleep, and prepared to read.

"Why do you have a book, Han?" Ty asked.

"Uh, because we're going to _read_," Han replied.

"Why do we have to read? That's boring," he said stubbornly.

"Because little boys like to read before going to bed."

"I'm not little! And I know I don't like to read…I hardly even know how!" Ty argued. "Wait…I have to go to _bed_?"

"Yeah," Han droned.

"But I thought you guys were _fun_! You aren't really going to make me go to bed, are you?"

"Ty, it's way past your bedtime," Leia said. "We can play more games tomorrow, but right now we're going to read."

"No!"

"Yes!" Han and Leia said together.

"No! I want to watch another holofilm!" Ty whined.

"You're going to bed, Ty," Han demanded. "I don't think your parents would be happy if they knew that you were up this late, anyway."

"No! I'm not!" Ty rebutted before running off into the other room.

"Oh, great!" said Han. "Since when was he like this?"

"Well, we've never had to put him to bed before. The one time he slept over with us he fell asleep before we got to the room," Leia replied, leaning into her husband and appreciating a few moments of silence.

"Yeah, but he wouldn't have been like this before," Han grumbled.

"I know. He's not a poor little boy anymore. We have to realize that he is just like any other boy now, and he thinks that we're just his friends. He doesn't think that we have any sort of authority over him," Leia explained.

"Yeah, but you'd think that if he thought of us as friends he'd listen to us."

"But he's only seven years old, Han. One of us needs to go in there and explain that he needs to listen to us and go to bed."

"Well, I'll go get him," Han gulped.

Han went into the kitchen (Ty's room of choice), and couldn't believe that he was seeing what lay before him. Ice cream was dripping from the floors and walls, chocolate syrup was splattered on the counters and sink, and Ty was sitting at the table, leisurely eating a sundae.

"What _is this_?" Han asked, mortified.

"I felt like having dessert," Ty stated, as if it was the most obvious thing in the galaxy.

"You can't just make a complete mess of the kitchen and eat dessert when you're supposed to be going to bed!" Han exclaimed.

"But I'm _not_ going to bed! I'm staying up late with you guys!"

"You're right; you're not going to bed now. You're gonna clean up this mess and _then_ go to bed," Han declared, leaving little room for argument.

"But I thought it was going to be fun staying with you!" Ty cried.

"Can you seriously say today _wasn't_ fun?" Han asked.

"Well, no…" Ty began.

"See? Tomorrow will be fun, too. If you clean this up and go to bed, that is," Han said, giving in to reason rather than punishment. He _was_ the cool friend, after all.

"But can't I watch just one more film?" Ty pleaded.

"You can - if you don't mind watching Leia and me kissing."

"Aahhh! Okay, I'll go to bed," Ty groaned. "Will you still read me a book?"

"Maybe. If you do a good job cleaning, that is."

Ty cleaned up the counters and floors as well as any seven-year-old could, and Han went back to the couch, sitting next to Leia.

"What did you do?" Leia asked Han.

"Oh, I just gave him a good old-fashioned threat. It was easy."

"Well, as long as that was all it was," Leia replied, kissing him.

Ty walked back into the main room. When he saw the two kissing, he ran straight into his room and jumped on his bed, covering himself with blankets.

"Well, that was even easier," Han stated. He then took Leia's hand and went to bed.


	45. Fair is Fair

I'll try to update as much as possible this week, but there will probably be about two weeks where there won't be any updates, since I'll be in Europe. I'll post a lot to make up for that, though! And this chapter is really strange, as I wrote it last year at about two in the morning after coming back from the fair, so…it's _interesting_.

**From-Heaven2Earth – **Funny IS good! Hehe…you tend to learn sneaky tricks like that when you deal with little kids a lot. Here's another chapter!

**Thejedistarfiregrayson** – Thank you! Ty is my pal. ;) And may the Force be with you as well!

**SailorLeia – **Thank you! Han and Leia need to learn those tricks, since they have a little one on the way.

**TheRealLeia – **Why, thank you! Here's some more!

**Dovasary** – Thank you! I know, I also think it's so funny when little kids are grossed out by kissing. Uh, this thing is over 70 chapters. It gets even crazier pretty soon, but those are my favorite chapters. I'll see what you guys think. :D

**Chapter 45**

The next day Han and Leia decided that they were tired of having Ty cooped up in the house. They didn't want to have another incident like the one the night before, so they took him to the New Alderaan Fair with the hope that this would tire him out enough that he would fall asleep tonight without a major incident. The fair was only around for a week, and was really only an excuse for the former rebels to get drunk, but it was perfect (perhaps _too_ perfect) timing for the two tired adults. Corellia Land had been wonderful for the three of them, and this didn't seem like it would be too different.

Han and Leia paid for the three tickets, and the three of them were searched (which was rather pointless considering who they were), and had their hands stamped. Bright multi-colored lights flashed regardless of the fact that it was daytime, enticing patrons to go on the rides. Ignoring the crowded attractions, Han and Leia started in the direction of the "kiddie rides," while Ty wandered off in the other direction.

"Hey kid, where are you going?" Han asked, realizing that their diminutive friend was not following them.

"I want to go on _that_ ride," he claimed, pointing up.

Han and Leia followed the direction of Ty's finger, their gazes ending upon a ride that spun in three different directions at a speed of approximately 100 kilometers per hour. The main part of the structure revolved around an axis, and held about ten different "arms" that each held three pairs of seats. Each arm and pair of seats spun on their own axes, providing a dizzying amount of spinning. The ride also looked as if it were about to fall apart. The creaking could be heard from where they stood, about 100 meters away.

"Uh, Ty, I don't think you want to go on that ride," Han warned.

"Yeah, I do!" Ty retorted.

"Why don't you want to go on those rides over there?" Han asked, pointing to the rides that were more suitable for seven-year-olds.

"Those are boring. That one looks like it's a lot more fun, like the rides at Corellia Land," Ty responded.

"Well, okay. I guess you can go on it. If you're tall enough, that is," Han said, not interested in getting into an argument today.

So the three of them headed to the "Hyperspace Heave," as the ride was called, the creaking becoming louder and louder as they moved closer.

"How is it so rickety when these rides are supposed to be new?" Leia asked Han, becoming more nervous with every moment.

He shrugged. "I dunno. I guess they just put them together too fast. I can't really see that they would make amazing, high-quality rides in only a few months."

"Oh, great," Leia returned. "All I know is that _I'm_ not going on. I'm pregnant, and even if I wasn't, I don't have a death wish."

"Well, I suppose I should go on with him. I'm not afraid, anyway. I don't think that a ride can scare me after everything I've been through," Han claimed.

"Famous last words," Leia said, laughing.

With that, Han and Ty got in line for the ride. Ty rubbed his hands together in excitement, Han shuffled his feet in annoyance, and Leia chucked softly to herself. This would certainly be an interesting experience for everyone.

Han and Ty were let onto the ride, and they climbed into their seats. They pulled down the restraining lever (which was suspiciously loose) so that it was over their legs, and prepared for flight.

The garish orange and green contraption rose, and for a moment everything seemed fine. The seats revolved slowly around their axes, and it seemed as if the ride only looked terrifying. Then the chaos began. The ride began picking up speed, and kept on increasing until it seemed as if the G-forces would have the skin on their faces stretched downward permanently. Nothing definite was visible anymore, as all images blurred into a swirl of colors. The velocity was so intense that it wasn't even possible to scream; Han had certainly tried enough times. The ride ended after an eternity, and all riders stumbled from their seats. Ty was smiling, while Han looked as if he were about to throw up.

"Let's go on again!" Ty squealed.

Han was not able to form words after the trauma that he had endured, but he managed to give Ty a glare that informed the boy quite well of what he thought of the idea.

They looked around for Leia, and were able to locate her on a bench in between the other two Leias. She was doubled over in laughter, and when she looked up and saw the pallid face of her husband, she broke out into a burst of laughter that was likely heard all across the fair. When she regained her linguistic abilities she tried to make up for her rudeness.

"Let's go get you something to drink," Leia told him, taking his hand and trying (somewhat unsuccessfully) not to laugh.

Han nodded slightly, which only seemed to worsen the dizziness, but Leia understood.

So the three of them traipsed to the various food stands, and Leia was able to find one that actually offered water rather than alcoholic beverages. Any other time Han would have practically begged her to get her to get him ale instead, but now he was barely able to walk, let alone hold alcohol well. After Leia paid for the water (which cost 5 credits), she turned to the right to hand it to Han, and saw a sight that she did not think she would ever witness in her lifetime. She rubbed her eyes to make sure that she was actually seeing this, and after a moment realized that she was not, in fact, hallucinating.

Mon Mothma, stone-cold drunk at 1200, was chasing a Gamorrean while pointing at him menacingly with a fork. She had her hair up in two tufts (likely a result of a drunken attempt to use the free samples of hair gel at a nearby booth), and kept on shouting, "come here, porky!" at the top of her lungs. For an outfit she wore a red mechanic's suit that bore the name "Erwin," with a puce polka-dotted blanket wrapped around her neck like a cape. She was also barefoot.

Leia and Han looked upon this scene with shocked silence. Laughter was not even forthcoming, as the image was too unbelievable to provoke any sort of response. The scene was certainly _possible_, as there was no senate meeting today and there was plenty of alcohol to go around, but…it just wasn't possible. So Han and Leia took Ty's hands and did what anyone else would do in their situation (besides laughing hysterically)…they backed away slowly.


	46. The Perfect Pose

**Chapter 46**

While Han and Leia were completely stunned, Ty was totally oblivious to the strangeness of what they had just seen.

"What's the big deal? Wasn't that lady just a clown or something?" Ty inquired.

"No, Ty. That was Mon Mothma. She's the president of the Alliance," Leia replied monotonously, still in shock.

"Really?" Ty laughed. "She looks different than she did when I saw her before! She must be really silly."

"Not really, she's just drunk," Han replied.

"Han!" Leia berated.

"It's kinda early for her to be drunk, don't ya think?" Ty asked, much to the amazement of his two elders.

"What do you know about drinking, Ty?" Leia asked, eyes wide.

"Plenty. There's ale, beer, wine, whiskey…" Ty rattled off.

"I mean…_how_ do you know about drinking?" Leia clarified.

"Doesn't everyone know about drinking?" Ty asked, genuinely confused.

"Most seven-year-olds don't know as much about alcohol as you do, kid," Han said.

"Oh, really? I guess I just learned it on the streets," Ty shrugged. "Can we go on the rides now?"

Han and Leia exchanged glances, both feeling remorse that Ty had had such a hard childhood, but they decided that Ty probably didn't want their pity. They instead led him over to the rides, knowing that it was pointless to be fixated on the past.

Han and Ty went on several more crazy rides, and the three of them went on many other less extreme ones. After a few hours the three of them were tired, and decided that they wanted to return home. They walked back, with Ty ahead of Han and Leia. Han put his arm around Leia, and she leaned into him, overtired from her pregnancy. They were all looking forward to heading back to the house, resting, maybe watching a holovid…when a group of tabvid reporters jumped out from behind nearby bushes and shoved cameras in their faces.

"Not you guys again!" Han shouted. "Man, there have been so many recycled plot lines lately."

"Well, maybe they're too lazy to come up with anything new. It's also summer, and a lot of teenagers are really into holovision and holo-mags this time of year."

"That's no excuse."

Leia shrugged. "Just ignore it and wave at the nice tabvid reporters," she said, pasting a smile on her face. Meanwhile Ty was jumping up and down in front of the cameras, making silly faces.

"No, I'm still mad at them," Han claimed, walking away and crossing his arms. "I'm not gonna do what they want me to do."

"Just _do it_," Leia said through clenched teeth.

"Okay," Han grinned. He walked over to Leia, took her in his arms, and bent her body back in the fashion of an old holovid. He then leaned down and kissed her passionately. Cheers went up from the reporters at this, and they crowded even closer. Ty mistakenly thought that their reaction was because of him (he luckily didn't see them kissing) and excitedly began using his fingers as pretend blasters and pointing them at the cameras, making shooting noises.

When Han pulled back Leia's face was flushed, and she turned even brighter when Han scooped her up into his arms.

"C'mon kid, let's go!" Han called.

"No, the people of the Alliance want me!" Ty claimed.

Han began running away, not waiting for Ty to reply. Ty looked back and forth between the reporters and Han and Leia, and finally decided to go after the couple.

"Hey, guys, wait for me!" he shouted, running after them.

The reporters began the chasing them (fairly slowly due to their equipment), causing Ty to turn around.

"Hey guys - don't chase me!" Ty yelled.

Ty stopped when the reporters didn't yield, but they kept on running.

"Guys, I stopped!" Ty said, but they ran past him. "I'm back here!"

The boy stood still for a moment, perplexed, before running after everyone. He was able to catch up with Han and Leia by sprinting, but by this point he was panting from exertion and the heat.

"Can we go get ice cream?" he asked, nearly keeling over.

"Sure kid, just follow me," Han said, pulling behind a building. They watched as the reporters ran forward, missing their prey, and the threesome took the opportunity to escape. "I know a shortcut to a little place downtown. I had to go there lots of times when Leia was having cravings."

"Watch your mouth, flyboy," Leia said, playfully punching his shoulder. "I'm sure I'll have more cravings, and I can just make them up to annoy you if I don't."

"Oh, great," Han replied.

"Just kidding, darlin'. You _can_ put me down now, you know. You look tired," Leia surmised.

"I'm not tired. _You're_ the one who's tired. I was just trying to do a favor for my pregnant wife."

"I'm not quite a Hutt yet, you know. I'm only three months along."

"Then why were you so tired?"

"I don't know – maybe I'm tired from last night."

Han smirked. "Well, then I take full responsibility."

Leia was about to make a sharp retort, when Ty spoke up.

"Can we _please_ go get ice cream?"


	47. Interruptions

**TheRealLeia – **Yeah, I like the image too.  Well, I don't think there would be any problems at three months, but I sadly know that little fact as well, 'cept I learned it from _Friends_. Sad, huh?

**Dovasary** – Yeah, they are pretty much wrapped up in their own world. Hopefully they don't ignore him _too_ much, though.I'll try to keep it up!

**From-Heaven2Earth** – Thank you! I can relate to people looking at you weird from laughing so much. Welcome to my life. ;) Hopefully it continues to be funny!

**Thejedistarfiregrayson** – Thanks! Well, Ty doesn't have Jedi powers, so he wouldn't be able to be a Sith. May the Force be with you!

**Mousewolf** – Thank you! Here's some more right here!

**Chapter 47**

The rest of the afternoon and night went by quickly and leisurely, and the next morning came abruptly. Han and Leia were both gradually pulled from a contented sleep, awakened by the incessant droll of the chrono's alarm. Today there would be no jaunts to the fair, no fooling with the press: today was a workday. The Alliance had to function somehow, and the couple could hardly be kept from doing their part.

Han was jolted from his sleep first, as he did not sleep as deeply as Leia (a result of his days as a smuggler), but that did not mean that he was ready to go to work. He hated the sound of that alarm, and he fought the reality that it represented, pulling a pillow over his head in defiance. He was considering grabbing and throwing the malicious device across the room, but just as he reached to his side, grasping futilely for the apparatus, Leia stirred next to him. He felt her shift so that she was balanced on her elbow (months of this practice had left him very knowledgeable of what she was doing beside him), and heard her speak softly.

"Han, I don't think that covering yourself with a pillow and destroying the chrono is going to keep the agency from needing you today," she admonished.

"Or maybe it will," he countered, burying his face into the sheets.

"C'mon, I'll help you get up," Leia assured, pulling the protective pillow from atop his head.

"Hey, why'd you do that?" he cried.

"So that I can do this," she said, pulling his face toward herself. She kissed him softly, and then tenderly brushed his tousled hair from his eyes. "I have to admit that I like what you did with the reporters yesterday. It was much better than what you did last time."

"What, you mean pull the blaster on them? I could hardly do that in front of the kid. Kissing you was a lot better than making threats anyway."

"And don't forget it, Mr. Scoundrel," she demanded. She kissed him again, hugging his body to her slightly swollen one. He deepened the kiss, running his fingers through her hair. He turned to her neck, pressing his lips to a pulse point, and made his way up to her nose. He was just about to press his hand to her belly, when Leia spoke.

"Han, are you by chance trying to keep me from going to work?" she asked as she pulled back slightly, already knowing what the answer was.

"Yeah, so what?" he replied. "You started it, anyway."

"I was just trying to make a point, not get fired," she claimed.

"You were just trying to make a point, huh? Well, that makes me wonder about a lot of our marriage," Han joked. "Can you even _get_ fired, anyway?"

"Not in the usual way," she conceded, reconsidering his idea. "Well, I guess I don't really _have_ to go to the senate today."

She returned to his arms, and laughed as he turned his amorous attention to her ear.

"Now I'm never going to go to work," she declared.

"That's the idea," he mumbled.

Leia chuckled, and pulled his face back so that his lips were a centimeter away from hers. She rolled on top of him, and kissed him fervently. She kissed his scar, his nose, his eyes, and was about to kiss his lips again when the dreaded sound of a knock on their door was heard.

"Ignore it," they said at the same time.

They returned to their kissing, until they heard another knock and the muffled, annoyed voice of a little boy.

"Guys, get up! There's something cool on holovision!"

"Can't you just watch cartoons for an hour or something, Ty?" Han groused.

"No! You can't miss this! And we have to be at the agency in a half hour, Han!" Ty claimed.

"Welcome to the rest of our lives," Han said. "Kids, grandkids…"

"No, it's our lives for two more days. It's not for the rest of our lives until six months from now," Leia corrected.

"Well, we're going to have to make the best of the next six months, then," Han said, kissing her quickly and grabbing his robe. He tossed Leia hers, and the two of them stumbled out of the room.

"C'mon, look at this!" Ty said excitedly, motioning them over to the holovision. The screen showed Han bend Leia over for a kiss, and then the ensuing chase. Ty was visible in the corner of the screen, waving his hands and demanding attention.

"See, it's me!" he said proudly, pointing at his image.

"Yep, it sure is, Kid," Han said, annoyance fading at Ty's excitement. He tried to hear the commentary over Ty's excited squealing.

"General Solo has opted for a different approach this time, changing from threats of violence to kissing his wife and carrying her off into the sunset," a commenter said, altering the truth somewhat. It had only been mid-afternoon, after all. "His previous encounter with reporters left the people of the Alliance wondering if a breakup was in sight, but this only seems to reestablish Solo's love for his wife. Who knows what Solo will do next?"

Another commenter jumped in. "Who is that little boy to the right of the screen? Is he with them?"

"I am not quite sure. He may be the boy that they brought back from Corellia. You know, the boy who was the reason that Solo started his adoption agency."

"He's quite a rambunctious fellow, isn't he?" the other commenter surmised.

"That's for sure," Han said.

They made a few more comments, and then the screen turned to the image of a human male trying to jump across a gorge. Han turned off the holovision.

"Well, that was a lot less painful than last time," Leia declared.

"Yeah, I guess I won't be making threats anymore," Han replied.

"Okay, Han. Let's get ready for work!" Ty said cheerfully.

"You're crazy, you know that, Kid?"

"Yep. Now get a move on!" Ty dictated, shoving Han into his room.

"I sure hope our kids aren't like this," Han whispered to Leia.

"Oh, they'll act worse, Han," Leia said knowingly. "They'll act much worse."


	48. The Baby Shower Planning Begins

**Chapter 48**

_Three months later…_

Han and Leia were making their way to Luke's apartment to talk about planning a baby shower. Leia was not pleased.

"Han, I do _not_ want a baby shower! I don't want people talking about how cute everything is and fawning over me! You're bad enough as it is," Leia said.

"C'mon Leia! Everyone wants to give you a baby shower! We're the first ones to be pregnant," Han argued. "And I do _not_ fawn."

"What do you mean 'we're the first ones to be pregnant'? I'd like to see _you_ pregnant!" Leia returned. "And you do _too_ fawn!"

Han grumbled at her last comment, then said, "You know what I mean. You're the first one of our friends to be pregnant, and I'm sure everyone wants to give you a baby shower."

"I'm the only one of our friends who's a woman! Of course I'm the first one to be pregnant. I'm the only one who can be!"

"Well, you do have friends who are women…" Han started.

"Like who?" she demanded.

"I dunno. There's Mon Mothma – she's always fun at parties. There're probably some others, too."

"You see! You can't even think of anyone else. Who would put on the party, then?"

"Hey, us men can put on a perfectly good baby shower! That's why we're going to Luke's place, ya know."

"Ha! I'd like to see a baby shower put on by Han Solo and Luke Skywalker. What's the big deal, anyway? We already know that we're going to love our son. Why do we need to have a party?"

"Ya know, to get stuff for the baby…"

"So basically you want to put on a party to get free things for the baby? At my expense?"

"Pretty much, yeah," Han grinned.

Leia let out a loud, frustrated sigh and stalked away, in the direction of Luke's apartment.

"Aw, c'mon Leia. You'll have a good time, I promise. We won't make it embarrassing for you or anything."

She fumed silently, then mumbled, "I doubt it."

"Seriously! And if you don't want to think about it like an opportunity to get free stuff, think about it as 'a celebration of our child.'"

Leia stopped in the middle of the hall, turning around hesitantly. "Well, that sounds a little bit better. Do you think that I would be able to get a nice massaging chair at the shower? My back's been killing me."

Han reached her and wrapped his arms around her expanding middle. "Oh, I think you could if you asked for it. You don't really need a chair to massage you though, do you? I thought that's what you have me for."

"You're right about that!" she said. "So if I don't get a chair, do you need to promise to massage my back and feet twice a night and once every morning?"

"Hmm…I think I can do that," he conceded. "If you promise to let us give you a baby shower."

She sighed. "Okay. I still don't understand why you're so adamant, though."

"I have my reasons," he claimed with a wink. He bent down and kissed her, tension gone between them. "I think Luke's gonna get a kick out of this party."

"Why?" she asked.

"Well, he'll be the proud uncle, so that'll make him happy. And you know he hasn't let loose for a while. He can get nice and drunk…"

"Wait! What do you mean by that? Why would there be alcohol at a baby shower?"

He shrugged. "There's alcohol at all parties."

"But that's not fair! Everyone can drink except for me!"

"Don't you want people to come?"

Leia raised her arms in defeat. "I give up. Let's just go to Luke's. He must be wondering where we are."

They walked to Luke's door and rang the doorbell. The door opened almost immediately, and Luke greeted them. He then led them to his living room, where he sat down on a couch, setting a book entitled _Baby Showers and You_ on his lap.

"So, Han finally convinced you about the baby shower? Took him long enough."

"Hey!" Han protested.

"So why do you care so much about the party?" Leia asked her brother. "And why do you have that book?

"This book happens to be an ancient book that the Jedi kept in their secret records, providing insight on how The Baby Shower is the key to attaining perfect oneness with the Force. I care about The Baby Shower because only through this can you truly become a Jedi," he said straight-faced.

"Seriously, Luke," Leia urged.

"What? You mean you don't believe me?" Luke asked, feigning shock. "Okay, okay. I care because I want to have a party celebrating my soon-to-be-born nephew. And I have this book because I want to have a _good_ party."

"I still don't understand why you men want to have this so badly. All the baby showers I've been to have little games, gossiping women, cute little decorations…"

"But remember, this baby shower is actually going to be _good_. Don't worry – you have a Jedi and a General on the mission. There's no way that we can mess it up."

"You want to stake your life on it?" Leia asked.

Neither Han nor Luke responded.


	49. Men at Work

Wow! So many replies for those chapters! I guess I just have to post a new one, then.

**Mousewolf** – I'm glad you liked it. Here's some more!

**TheRealLeia** – Yeah, drunk!Luke is the funniest. In this story (I don't remember if I mentioned it either) Leia _did_ pursue her Jedi abilities, but it's not the focus of the story, so it's very rarely touched upon.

**Dovasary** – Hehe…yeah, the idea was pretty crazy. The idea was a result of going to my sister's baby showers and a few others in a short amount of time. And I don't get sick of people telling me they love the story – I think it's fantastic!

As for the books, as a rabid H/L fan affected by reading countless anti-EU rants I would personally advise against reading them in favor of fan fiction, but if you really want to, I would suggest starting with _Truce at Bakura_, and going from there. That is the first book after ROTJ. I never read the X-wing series, but those are next, followed by one of my faves, _Tatooine Ghost_. The Thrawn Trilogy is pretty good (begins with _Heir to the Empire_), and it has Han and Leia married and expecting twins. Then there's the Jedi Academy books, which I liked with the exception of the plot line of having the Solo kids away from their parents for two years. Then _Children of the Jedi_ and _Darksaber_, _Planet of Twilight_ (somewhere around the time of those two books), some books I forget the names of, and The Corellian Trilogy, which a lot of people don't like, but I loved them. There are some more, but I'm too lazy to look, and I haven't read them for a while. I would strongly suggest staying away from _The Courtship of Princess Leia _(sounds good, but believe me, it's not) and _The Crystal Star_. And only read the New Jedi Order books if you feel like getting depressed (those are the ones with grown up Solo kids, and are fairly new) or enjoy reading about aliens and technology. So yeah, that list isn't biased at all, but who said it wasn't supposed to be:P

**HRHpadmeamidala** – Thank you! Oh yes, I know that quite well, but keep in mind 1)this story has Han and Leia married right after ROTJ and it's about five years before Jaina and Jacen are born, and 2)it ignores the EU plotline. So whether or not Han and Leia eventually have Jaina, Jacen, and Anakin is up to the mind of the reader!

**From-Heaven2Earth** – Uh, I hope I'm not a stalker. I try to keep my stalkerish tendencies on the down low. That's funny I'm predicting your life! Or…weird. Here's some more!

**Jade Skywalker** – No problem, no problem! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, and you're still hanging around my little ol' fic!

**SailorLeia** – I'm glad you're so consistently loving this! Here's the next chapter!

**Chapter 49**

The three of them sat on Luke's couches, facing each other. Leia and Han listened as Luke read passages from the book.

"Okay, so it says here that it's good to have a door prize," Luke stated. "That won't be too hard, but I don't know why anyone would want a door."

"Seriously. Who wrote this book, anyway?" Han asked.

"It doesn't say. I don't blame them for keeping themselves anonymous, though. Who would want a door?"

Leia rolled her eyes. "A door prize is a prize that you give as people leave the party, not an actual door. You seriously want to plan this party?"

"Of course. That makes a lot more sense, anyway. So, what do we want to give as prizes?"

"Well, sometimes at baby showers they give out cute little candies, or potpourri, or little frilly…" Leia began.

"No way. Not at _our_ party. We're not gonna have any frilly prizes. Who cares about 'prizes', anyway?" Han replied.

"But Han…the book! The book says to give out little prizes. We have to listen to the book if we want to have a good party," Luke cried.

"Luke, the book is stupid. Let's just buy some drinks, send out invitations, and be done with it," Han insisted.

"I thought that you wanted to plan the party, Han. You were the one who convinced me, so you have to do the work," Leia said.

"I _do_ want to plan the party, Leia. But, like Luke said, I want it to be a _good_ party. Why don't you move on to the next part, Luke? Maybe it's better."

"Okay…this part says that you should have games. It has some listed here."

"Let's not have games. C'mon, Luke. We don't need that book."

"Han, if you don't want to do anything in the book, what _do_ you want to do? How can you have a baby shower if you don't do any of this?" Luke asked.

"We can make everything up. Why would we do any of that stuff if it's gonna be mostly guys at the party anyway?"

"There're games in here that the men will like."

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

"Like drinking contests to see who can drink ale out of baby bottles the fastest…"

"Really? They have that in the book?"

"No, not really. I just made it up," Luke replied.

"Well, that's a good one. What else can you think up?"

"Hey, don't I get a say in this?" Leia asked.

"I thought you wanted _us_ to plan it, Princess."

"I do, but what's the point of having a baby shower if everyone just gets drunk?"

Han shrugged. "You still get presents, and everyone else is happy."

"I might as well not go to the party," Leia sighed.

"Don't worry, Leia. It's just one game. You'll love everything else," Luke said.

"Oh, _sure_."

"No, you really will. In fact, why don't you pick the next game?"

"Okay," Leia smiled. She wasn't going to pass up her opportunity. She took the book from Luke, and glanced at the "games" section.

"This one," she said, pointing to a game at the very end of the section.

Luke looked at the game she was pointing to, and immediately took back what he had said.

"We can't play that game! You said yourself that it'll be mostly guys at the baby shower."

"And you said that I could pick a game. I pick that one."

"What's the game? Is it really that bad?" Han asked.

Luke handed him the book and showed him the instructions to the game. In the game, a computer would randomly select a character from a children's holovision show, and the player had to act out the character. The rest of the party guests then had to guess who they were pretending to be.

"I'm not playing that! What does it have to do with a baby shower, anyway? It's not like babies watch holovision," Han protested.

"And babies drink bottles full of ale?" Leia countered.

"Well, they at least drink out of bottles! It's still with the theme!"

"Well, you're going to have to get used to watching children's programming on the holovision anyway. Might as well start now…ooh!"

"What was that?" Han asked, moving over so that he was sitting close to his wife.

"Oh, it's nothing to worry about. The baby just kicked me pretty hard, that's all."

"Really?" Han asked, putting his hand on her abdomen. "He's getting strong, isn't he?"

"Yes," she replied with a slow smile.

"I think he was telling you to listen to his daddy. He doesn't want me to be humiliated, ya know."

"No, I think he was agreeing with me. He has to have some way to show that he agrees with me."

Luke stood up and went over to his two friends. "Why don't you guys go home and get some rest? We can finish this tomorrow."

"But we hardly accomplished anything!" Leia said.

"It's fine. We can all think it over so tomorrow we'll have better ideas," Luke suggested.

"I think you're just trying to get rid of us," Leia surmised.

"Well, you guessed right," Luke grinned. "I'm just kidding. Go get something to eat and get some rest. It'll be good for the baby."

"Always the protective uncle," Leia said, hugging her brother goodbye. Han hugged his brother-in-law as well, and the two headed for the door.

"Bye, Luke," Leia called. As they were leaving, Leia turned around so that she was facing her brother. "Oh, and Luke – please throw that book away."


	50. Invitations

**Mousewolf – **Nope. Luke tried though, he really did. Don't worry, there's still a lot more!

**From-Heaven2Earth** – Thank you! I don't remember if they ended up doing charades or not, but it puts quite an image in the mind, now, doesn't it?

**Thejedistarfiregrayson** - Thank you! Yes, I've read Tatooine Ghost. It's probably my favorite EU book, since it focuses on Han and Leia and all.

**TheRealLeia** – Thanks for the props! Yeah, Luke has to be the mature older brother now. It's gonna get quite interesting, I'm tellin' ya!

**KnightedRogue** – Yes, you did read it on the JC, but there's nothing wrong with reading it again! I forget a lot of the stuff too – it's fun to go back and read it when I post the chapters. Glad you're enjoying it the second time around! Pink and H/L mush rule!

**Jade Skywalker** – Thank you! I'll try to keep the updates fast.

**Chapter 50**

The next day Han and Leia went back over to Luke's apartment. Luke had opened the door even before they rang the bell, and he immediately handed Han a bottle of Corellian Ale.

"What's this for?" Han asked, confused.

"I have a feeling you're going to need it," Luke stated.

"Ah…you have a 'feeling,' huh?"

"Yeah. You'll be afraid, Han. You _will_ be," Luke said, looking strangely distant.

"Uh, okay Luke," Han said before leaning toward Leia and whispering: "I think I already am."

"So, Luke," Leia began, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had formed. "I see you don't have the book with you. Where is it?"

"Over there," he replied, nodding toward a container by the door that was filled with paper shreds. "I couldn't just throw it away. I needed to make it so that no one ever read it again."

"Good job, Luke. You did the galaxy a favor," Han grinned.

"I know. That doesn't mean that we're safe, though. Leia has something evil in mind for us."

"Oh, what do you mean, my dear brother?" Leia asked, feigning innocence.

"I _am_ a Jedi, dear sister. It's pretty obvious that you're up to something."

"Like what?"

"Like completely humiliating Han and I by making us play stupid baby shower games. You know, something along that line."

"I was planning no such thing," Leia replied prettily. "I was only planning on mildly disgracing you, that's all."

"C'mon, Leia. We're trying to do something nice for you here. Can't we just keep all the girly stuff out of the shower?" Han protested.

"No, because the shower guests will be mostly women," Leia countered.

"What? I thought you said that most of your friends are men," Han said.

"They are, but I decided that my baby shower isn't just going to be an excuse for you all to get drunk. I'm going to invite some of my female acquaintances, and you men will just have to deal with it."

"But Leia…what happened to us planning the party?" Luke asked.

"You _are_ going to plan the party. Now you have to plan a party for women. And don't try to get out of attending the shower, either. If you plan it, you have to go to it."

Han took a long swig of ale.

"Why don't we invite women _and_ men, and then the men can just go drink in a corner while the women are playing the games and doing whatever it is that you do?" Luke asked shakily.

"We can invite men too, but they have to do everything the women do. If we have a diaper-changing contest, everyone has to do it. We don't want to be discriminatory now, do we?" Leia asked with an evil grin.

"There's a big difference between being discriminatory and being realistic. If you invite men to the party and make them do stuff like that, they're gonna jump out the window," Han stated.

"Oh, I don't think so. I think everyone will have fun. We can even have that beer-drinking contest you were talking about. But that's enough about the games for now. We need to send out invitations before we go and plan everything."

"How can we send out invitations if we don't know who's invited?" Luke asked.

"Oh, I just happen to have a list with me," she said, as she handed the list to him.

He read it, and went over the names several times to be sure that he was seeing correctly.

"Who are these people? I haven't even seen half of these names before."

"Oh, they're women that I know. Or at least women that I've met."

"Lemme see," Han said, taking the list from Luke. "You're right, Luke – I don't know any of these people. There's Malla, Mon Mothma and Helena Bengley, but other than that…who _are_ these people?"

"Oh, stop being such babies. We can invite Lando, Chewie, Wedge and some of our other friends. You won't be the only ones there with Y-chromosomes."

"Is that gonna make it any better? I think I'd rather be humiliated in front of a bunch of women I don't know," Han moaned, downing more of his drink.

"Well, you can decide later. Let's design the invitations first." Leia said, going over to the computer terminal. "We could just send out a message to all the guests, but I think that the invitations should be cute. I was thinking of having the text of the message in baby blue, with a border of blue rattles…"

"Whoa – wait a second. What's wrong with just sending a plain message out? Who cares about how 'cute' the invitations look?" Han challenged.

"The guests will care, that's who," Leia stated, focusing her attention back on the terminal. "Okay, so we want to have it next week, right? We can have it midday."

"Okay," Han and Luke mumbled.

Leia typed quickly, shielding the supposed planners of the party from the screen, and smiled with satisfaction upon finishing.

"Okay, it's all done. Want to look?" Leia asked, moving over so the two men could have a good look at the message.

The invitation was merely a message that would be sent to all the guests' computers. The writing was fancy and done completely in baby blue. The invitations also featured rattles and blue bows, much to the disgust of Han and Luke. Han read it over, trying to ignore the frills, and noticed that something wasn't mentioned.

"Wait – it doesn't say anything about presents. I thought we were gonna get stuff!"

"Well, it's generally known that it's a custom to bring presents to a baby shower. It would seem really desperate if we wrote that they had to bring presents, wouldn't it?"

"But what if people don't know? The whole party would be pointless!"

"What happened to it being 'a celebration of our child?'" Leia asked dryly.

"Well, it would be a pointless 'celebration of our child' if nobody brought presents, wouldn't it?"

"I'm not writing that people have to bring presents on the invitations," Leia stated, crossing her arms.

"Well, Luke and me are planning the party, as you've so conveniently written on the invitations, so we can write that the guests have to bring presents if we want," Han said stubbornly.

"Go ahead," Leia answered, motioning to the screen. "If you want them to look tacky, that is."

"Tacky is fine by me if it means presents," Han said, typing in his addition. He leaned back and appraised the message.

"It looks better that way," he claimed. "I think that we should invite the guys now."

"What, you're willing to sacrifice your pride for a few presents?" Leia asked.

"Pretty much."

"You never fail to surprise me, Solo," Leia said. "You never fail to surprise me."


	51. The Baby Shower, part 1

**Chapter 51 **

"**The Baby Shower" – part one**

At the Solo residence, Han and Luke frantically set up decorations, prepared food, and set up games while Leia nestled into the couch and watched them. It amused her to no end watching those two at work, and knew that she was going to be able to use this event as ammunition in any fight for years to come. Not even in her wildest dreams would she have imagined those two doing what they were today, and she knew that there was no way that this party would be boring.

People began arriving ten minutes early, much to the exacerbation of Han and Luke, and they immediately went over to hug and congratulate Leia. Luke and Han kept their gazes on the guests, waiting for their turn of acknowledgments, but they were all but ignored as the guests went over to a nearby table to drop off their mandatory presents.

"What's their problem?" Han asked Luke. "Can't they see that we were the ones who did all the work?"

"I don't know," Luke replied. "Maybe they aren't hugging us because we aren't the one who's pregnant."

"But I should be congratulated, too – I mean, I have to deal with Leia all the time, and she's pregnant with my kid, so I'm a honorary pregnant person," Han explained haphazardly.

"Don't tell me you just said what I think you did, Solo!" Leia yelled from across the room.

"Who, me?" Han asked.

"No, the other Solo…of course you! You seriously think that dealing with me even gives you an _idea_ of what it's like to be pregnant?"

"Uh, no…I mean, I'm sure it's different…"

"Different doesn't even begin to describe it! Let's see…you stood and watched as I vomited when I had morning sickness, you sat outside the store while I shopped for clothes to fit my inflating body, you…"

As Leia continued her assault, guests watched with wide eyes, wondering whether they had made a mistake coming to the party. It was certainly interesting watching Leia "going Hoth" on Han, though.

"Wait one second, Leia," Han said. "I didn't mean what I said. I was just saying that since I'm the father I should get _some_ recognition, not that I should be considered pregnant."

"So you're not 'a honorary pregnant person'?'"

"It just came out wrong, that's all. It's no big deal," Han soothed.

Having finished her tirade, Leia didn't even respond to Han's last comment, and grew painfully aware of all the guests that were watching her. It wasn't exactly common to come to a baby shower only to see the mother yelling at her husband, but their baby shower wasn't common in the first place. She turned back to face her guests.

"Umm, I'm sorry about that. Hormones, you know."

"It's all right. When I was pregnant, I always became furious at my husband when he implied that he was the one who had it rough. Men just can't understand," a woman named Gladyis Tubeck sniffed.

"That's right," Senator Harien Yleneb of Tatooine agreed.

All the women murmured their agreement, and several glared at Han. Han saw their looks very clearly, wishing that he had some backup.

"Hey, Luke," Han whispered, careful of not saying anything too loud in front of the women. "Where are all the guys? All the women are here, Ty came with Helena, and Chewie and Lumpy came with Malla, but none of the other men are here."

Luke shrugged. "I guess they're just late. The party isn't even supposed to start for a couple of minutes. Just be patient," he said, aware that telling Han Solo to be patient was along the same lines of telling a Wookiee that they should get a shave.

_Downtown New Alderaan, same time_

Wedge Antilles was briskly walking down the main road, holding a large present in his arms. He was dressed for the occasion, with a clean-pressed shirt, new slacks and shined shoes, and was making his way to his speeder to go to the Solo residence. He was nearly there when a laughing Lando Calrissian came up behind him and gave him a friendly slap on the back.

"Look at you!" Lando exclaimed. "You didn't really take that invitation seriously, did you?"

"Well, yeah. It didn't say that it was a joke or anything."

"Of course it was a joke! Do you seriously think that Han and Luke would plan a _baby shower_ and then invite _us_? And make presents mandatory?"

"Well, it _was_ a little weird…"

"It was supposed to be weird – it was a joke! C'mon, the guys and I are going to go to that bar over there," he said, pointing across the street, "and you can come with us."

"Sure," Wedge replied with a shrug. "It definitely beats going to a baby shower."

_Back at the Solo residence, 30 minutes later_

"Well, I guess they aren't coming," Han said dejectedly, worriedly glancing at the hordes of women gathered together at the dining table. "Now we're just gonna have to hope that we can survive _them_." He instinctively patted his hip, where his blaster and holster usually rested, but his hand was met with cloth. Leia had made it clear that she wanted no weapons at the party, so he was now without his 'security system.'

"It'll be fine, Han. There's five of us, and only…twenty of them," Luke gulped. "Okay, maybe we _should_ be worried."

"Yeah," Han sighed. "Well, I guess we should get this party going. What should we do first?"

"I thought you were going to plan when we were going to do everything!" Luke protested.

"I was, but then I figured that it didn't matter. We can just see how everything goes. Why don't we play a game first? Everyone loves games."

"Sure, why not? Which one?"

"The lesser of the evils, I guess," Han replied. "The baby bottle-drinking contest."

Han strode over to the crowd of gossiping women and an uncomfortable Chewie, Lumpy, and Ty, and cleared his throat.

"Excuse me, everyone. Luke and me decided that we should start the party off now, and we're gonna play a game. The game's pretty easy, but only ten people can play. You have to drink one of those baby bottles filled with ale," Han said, nodding toward a table that held the aforementioned bottles, "and then turn around nine times, run to the table across the room, and put a diaper on one of those dolls. This, of course, is based on what everyone does after they have a baby."

The room was silent.

"Uh, any questions?"

"Do you really condone drinking while you are taking care of a child? That is sickening," a raven-haired woman stated.

"No, of course not! That was just a joke," Han stuttered, looking across the room to meet Leia's eyes. He was annoyed to see that she was laughing. "So, does anyone want to play?"

"What are the prizes?" a stout woman with dyed blonde hair demanded.

"What prizes?" Han asked.

"You don't have _prizes_? What's the point of the game, then?"

"To see who's the fastest drinker, of course," he replied, as if the answer was obvious.

The women looked unimpressed.

"So, does anyone want to play?"

The room was completely silent.


	52. The Baby Shower, part 2

Hey, sorry everyone about not getting responses to your replies up. I really appreciate everyone who takes the time to review, and all my readers out there, lurkers and all (don't be afraid to reveal yourselves – I don't bite!). It's just that I have to leave for the airport in about three hours, so I don't have much time, but I wanted to get these chapters up before I "went to bed." Bon appetite!

**Chapter 51 **

**"The Baby Shower" part 2**

Han looked over the crowd of women, unbelieving that anyone would pass this game up. He decided to try to do some recruiting.

"Well, Luke and me are gonna play. C'mon, Chewie, you can play too."

Chewie shook his head emphatically.

"Hey, Mon!" he yelled to Mon Mothma. "Join in, you know you want to."

She considered for a moment, and then shook her head. "I promised the institute…I mean, myself, that I wouldn't drink anymore."

"C'mon Helena, Malla – hey, even Ty can play!"

The women gasped.

"Tell me you didn't just tell a seven-year-old child that he could drink alcohol," Gladyis huffed.

"No! I meant that he could play, but he wouldn't drink _ale_. He would drink juice, or blue milk instead. Of course I wouldn't want him to drink _alcohol_!"

The women exchanged glances, and through their unspoken network decided that they did not believe him. Helena approached Han, eyes fiery.

"After all you did for Ty, I can't believe that you would set such a bad example! He's only seven!"

"Helena – I swear I didn't mean that. I just didn't get to finish what I was saying."

"Sure, and you're pregnant, too."

As the women began moving closer to Han menacingly, Leia pushed through the crowd and up to her husband.

"I, for one, believe Han. He may have been lying before, but he's not lying now. He would never give a child permission to drink ale."

"Of course you side with him - you're his wife!" a woman in the crowd exclaimed.

"I may be his wife, but I am also a Jed trainee who can sense lies, and, in case you have forgotten, this is _my_ baby shower. So everyone is going to play the games, eat the food, watch me open presents, and gossip merrily for the rest of the party. And I don't want _any_ more fighting. Understand?"

The women were unable to argue with Leia's command, and begrudgingly backed off of the subject. Per Leia's order, they listened as Han explained the game again, and this time seven women volunteered to play, and they decided that they would let Ty play as long as his drink was not alcoholic. Han filled up one of the bottles with juice, and put it on the table with the others. The ten of them lined up, fingers reaching for the bottles, as they awaited Leia's signal.

As soon as Leia signaled, everyone picked up their bottle and began drinking. Han, Luke, and Ty started off strong (with Ty displaying drinking skills that caused his mother much worry), but the women surprised everyone with their avidness for the game. One woman in particular, Gladyis Tubeck, began catching up, until she was tied for the lead with Han. Han gave her a side-glance, brow furrowing, and began drinking even faster, not wanting to spoil his reputation, of course (though his reputation would most likely be ruined as a result of the baby shower anyway). He downed the bottle and began spinning in circles, the room turning into a blue haze. He was pretty sure that he crashed into one of the women, and was not quite sure how many times he had turned around, but staggered to the table with the dolls and diapers. From the corner of his eye he saw a flash of pink and green, and realized that one of the women (probably Gladyis) was already at the table. He grabbed one of the diapers and hurriedly opened it, unsure of which part was the front and which part was the back. He therefore haphazardly put the diaper on the doll, stumbled toward Leia, and shouted, "done!" as he crashed into a couch. The others were all either finishing the bottles or in the process of spinning (apparently unaware that the game was over), but Gladyis was pointing at the dolls, grinning.

"You may have finished before me, General Solo, but you didn't put the diaper on correctly," she stated proudly.

"What'dya mean? That wasn't a rule!" Han countered.

"Well, it should have been. Don't you agree, ladies?" she asked sweetly.

Several of the women made unenthusiastic affirmations.

"See?" Gladyis smirked.

"Not really. Why does that matter anyway? There's not a prize or anything."

"Well, I want to be able to tell my friends that I can drink faster than Han Solo. And I still think that I should get a prize."

"Wait one minute there. First of all, you didn't drink faster than me. I most definitely finished that part before you. I also put the diaper on the doll before you, whether or not it's perfect. I don't have as much experience with that as you do, if you can recall. And there aren't any prizes, so stop talking about them."

At this point everyone had either finished or stopped playing the game, and Luke decided to intervene.

"Why don't we ask Leia what she thinks?" he asked.

Everyone turned to Leia for her response, and she shrugged.

"Han was the first one to finish. You can't expect someone to put a diaper on perfectly when they're completely dizzy."

"There you have it," Luke said. "No more arguing."

Gladyis opened her mouth to give a statement to the contrary, but stopped upon seeing that everyone else was nodding in agreement with Luke.

"Okay," Han grinned. "Now we can start with another game. I'm sure everyone will like this game better."

Luke went ahead with the instructions. "In this game, we will find out who can draw the best baby. Everyone will have a piece of flimsplast and a pen to use, but you have to put the flimsplast on your head and draw the baby while it is there. No cheating!"

The women seemed to react to this game more favorably, and took the materials without complaint. Once everyone was ready, Luke spoke again.

"Okay, everyone has thirty seconds to draw. Start…now!"

Everyone began drawing furiously, some drawing circles that barely looked like circles let alone babies, some attempting to draw the outline of a baby, and some just drawing…something. When the thirty seconds was up everyone looked at their drawing in surprise.

Chewie growled. This game is unfair to Wookiees. Look at this!

Chewie showed his drawing to Malla, whose drawing had similar squiggles.

Han looked at his drawing, and grinned. "I never knew I could draw so good!"

He went to show his drawing to Leia, but upon comparing his drawing to hers took back his enthusiastic response. Somehow she had managed to draw a perfect baby on the top of her head. How was _that_ possible?

Ty and the women looked over each other's drawings, and though some had very fine attempts, no drawing could measure up to Leia's. She was unanimously chosen winner of the game.

"I never knew you were an artist, Princess!" one of the women said.

"Me neither," Han agreed. "Well, Leia, it looks like it doesn't matter that we didn't buy any prizes. So far you and me are the only winners."

"You'd better believe that I'll be expecting a prize from you later, General."

Han smirked, and the room was uncomfortably silent for a moment before Luke cleared his throat.

"Well, we have one more game, and then we can eat," he assured. "Why don't you explain this one, Han?"

"Okay," Han agreed. "The object of this game is to see who has the best memory, and can recognize the most baby products. Luke will bring out a tray filled with baby things, and will take it away after a minute. You have to write down everything that you remember from the tray, and whoever has the most right wins."

He leaned down to whisper to Luke. "Tell me again why we're doing this."

"Because Leia wants us to, that's why. This is the last game, then we can just eat and get drunk," Luke whispered in return.

"Sounds good. Go get the tray so we can be done with this."

As Luke went to get the tray, Chewie growled at Han.

This game is not fair to Wookiees, either! he barked.

"Do you really _want_ to play, Chewie?"

No, but Malla and Lumpy do!

"Well, then I can write for them. It's not a big deal."

Chewie woofed in agreement, and crossed his arms as Han sat down next to them. Some of the guests looked at him suspiciously.

"I'm just gonna write down what they say, don't worry! I'm not gonna cheat for them. I can't remember everything there is, anyway."

They seemed to take his assurance well, and turned their attentions elsewhere. Luke brought the tray out and set it out on a table in the middle of the room. Everyone crowded around it, trying to take in as many of the items as possible. There were diapers, rattles, bottles, medicine, lotion, and many other necessary baby items. Some of the products were very obscure, and the partygoers tried to keep those in their memory especially. As soon as Luke took the tray away people began writing furiously, trying to write everything from memory before it slipped from their minds. Han tried to keep up with Malla and Lumpy as they dictated (who now seemed to have an advantage over the other guests as they were combining their knowledge), but they were going too fast for him, and they growled at him every time he missed what they were saying. Han just wasn't having a good day.

"Time's up," Luke said a minute later, causing everyone to groan. "All right, who has ten or more items listed?"

Five guests, including Malla and Lumpy, raised their hands/paws.

"How many does everyone have?"

The guests stated their amounts, and Malla and Lumpy were found to have the most items with eighteen listed. Luke checked them to be sure that they were all correct, and affirmed that Malla and Lumpy were the winners. When he said this, guests were outraged (yet again).

"They cheated! Not only did they work together, they had _him_ writing everything down for them!" a woman who had previously kept quiet exclaimed, pointing at Han.

Han tried to intercede. "I had to write for Malla and Lumpy because writing is difficult for them, and there was no one else who could do it, so I had to write down what both of them said. And, once again, why does anyone care? It's just a stupid baby shower game."

The women gasped (yet again).

"Just a stupid baby shower game? My word!" a woman huffed.

"Who is _that_?" Han mumbled to Malla.

She shrugged.

"This is a matter of principle, General Solo! Though you do not seem to have any principles, so you wouldn't know about that," Gladyis sniffed.

"Now, just stop right there, sister," Han started angrily. "I can handle just so much stuff like that for Leia's sake. You go and say that I don't have any principles, and you've gone too far. What makes you think your principles are so much better than mine? Sure, I used to be a smuggler, but so what? Do you see me smuggling now? And just where were _you_ during the Rebellion? Let's see, while you were who knows where, I was out there fighting for the Rebellion that brought down the Empire and allowed you to be here today. So don't you go preaching to me about _principles_."

Everyone's attention had been diverted to Han, and as he finished an awkward silence pervaded the room.

"Well," Luke said, breaking the silence. "Who wants cake?"


	53. A New Idea

**I'm BACK! Thanks for reading, all!**

**The Real Leia – **1.Hehe, Han and Luke dressed in frilly clothes is quite an image. I've written all this, but I just need to download all the chapters, which takes a while, and write responses to all the reviews.

2. It's over seventy chapters…and I'm not going to tell you what happens in the end. It's a surprise. Well, it's a happy ending, I can tell you that much.

**Mousewolf** – Oh, but it did happen. More coming up!

**From-Heaven2Earth** – 1. Wouldn't you take advantage of the situation if you were in Leia's place? evil face

2. I'm glad you thought it was so funny! Now, I don't want any fights breaking out over this story. But if your neighbors can't deal with laughter, go ahead and laugh!

**Dovasary **– 1. Haha. Luke. I'm glad you liked the list, and I hope that you are enjoying/enjoyed Tatooine Ghost! It has some good Han and Leia mush.

2. The world really has come to an end with Han and Luke-planned baby showers. It's a scary thought. All the women _were_ supposed to be senators, thus their prudish behavior. I love Wedge too, though I don't know why.

**Vicki and Teazer** – Eh, you don't need those brain cells. Just kidding. I'm glad you think this is cute – that's really all it's supposed to be. And you can always go back to Dis…then you can go on Space Mountain, since it will be reopened. Thanks for reading!

**ThePrincess04** – I'm glad you liked them! Well, Han _did_ pretty much bring it on himself, but I definitely pity him.

**GreatOne** – I certainly can't imagine a more interesting one! Thanks for popping by!

**TheBeautifulPadmeAmidala** – Yes, those two certainly have it rough. Thank you for reading!

**DarthLady14** – Thank you! Here's another chapter!

**Jade Skywalker** – I'm glad you liked it! Yes, Han was quite embarrassed. And my trip was very fun, thank you!

**Chapter 53**

_The next day…_

Han was slumped on a couch, palm resting on his forehead when Leia came home from the Senate. She gingerly sat next to him, one hand resting on her abdomen, her other hand brushing through his hair.

"Hangover, huh?" she asked.

"No," he mumbled.

"Well, then what has you so depressed?" she asked.

"What makes you think I'm depressed?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe it's the fact that you're lying down, looking either massively hung over or completely depressed."

"Nice. You're a real comedian," he muttered.

"C'mon, Han. I can't make you feel better if I don't know what's wrong."

"Hmm…maybe it's the fact that I can never go out in public again without being completely humiliated."

"I'm assuming this is because of the baby shower?"

"Yeah. Maybe we should leave New Alderaan for a while."

"I don't think so! It was _your_ idea to have the baby shower, you know. And I'm not leaving New Alderaan until after the baby is born."

"Can we leave _after_ the baby is born, then?"

"You're _that_ embarrassed? Why did you have the baby shower in the first place, then?"

"It wasn't _my_ idea to invite all those women. Now, thanks to their loud mouths, everyone in the Alliance knows about the little feminine party that Luke and me put on."

"Oh, poor baby," Leia coddled. "Is your ego damaged?"

"Yeah. And it needs a lot of repairing," he sat up and leered at her. "I can think of someone who can help fix it, though."

"Luke?" she asked, ignoring his look.

He laughed. "No. I was thinking of someone a little more petite."

"Hmm…Yub-Yub?"

"I don't think so."

"Lumpy?"

"No."

"How about…me?"

"That sounds about right."

Han leaned forward and kissed her. As he was kissing her, she was suddenly struck by something that had been occupying her for most of the day. Han had unintentionally reminded her of it, and now it was consuming her thoughts.

"Han…I wanted to talk to you about something," Leia said as she broke away.

"Hmm…what is it?" he muttered.

"Are you happy being here on New Alderaan all the time? Not going anywhere on the _Falcon_ or leaving the planet?" Leia asked.

"Well, I dunno - I _do_ miss flying, and the stars. I don't want to leave you or anything, though, if that's what you're wondering."

Leia abruptly stood up and began pacing, gesticulating animatedly. "No, it's just that I was thinking about resigning from my position as a senator after the baby is born. I don't want to miss seeing him grow up because of work, but I still want to be involved in the Alliance. I know I talked to you a little bit about this before, but I'm thinking about asking Mon Mothma if I can be sent as an ambassador to try to get more planets to join the Alliance. You can come with me as my pilot, and we can take the baby with us whenever we leave. We wouldn't always be gone, of course, so you can still run the adoption agency, and our son will always have a home to come back to," Leia said in a rush. "I understand if you don't like the idea, but the further into the pregnancy I get, the more I know that I won't be able to leave him with nannies or droids all the time while I go to work. It would be too hard."

"Leia," Han stated simply, standing up to wrap his arms around her. "That sounds like a wonderful idea."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I feel exactly like you do," he assured, then stepped back to appraise her. "So, you're really gonna leave your position in the Senate?"

"Yes. As long as Mon Mothma approves, that is."

"I don't know how easy that'll be. She _was_ at the baby shower, ya know," Han laughed.

"I know, and that's why she'll probably approve. I don't think that she'll want me at the Senate anymore after that debacle."

"I don't know. I'm not gonna argue with anything that gives you more time with me, though."

"You, my love, are absolutely insufferable," Leia claimed with an air of dignity.

"I know," he said as he drew her into another kiss.


	54. Talking to Mon Mothma

**Chapter 54**

The next day Leia decided to speak with Mon Mothma about the subject of her leaving her Senatorial position. She did not believe that the Alliance leader would let her leave easily, but she hoped that she would understand at the very least. Once she spotted the President she increased her pace (as much as a six-month-pregnant woman could), and came up behind her, gently tapping her on the shoulder. The leader turned around quickly, momentary fear dissolving as she saw the face of her "assailant."

"Oh, Leia! You scared me," Mon Mothma breathed.

"I'm sorry," Leia said politely, "but I have to talk to you about something."

"Of course, but I only have a minute. There is a lot of work to do now, especially with the Ithorian Ambassadors coming tomorrow. It's good that you're here now – I don't know what I would do without you."

Leia swallowed nervously, quite aware that it would be difficult to make a decent argument for her quitting her position after Mon Mothma made that statement. She overcame her apprehension, however, and spoke in an authoritative, unyielding manner that Han had dubbed her "princess voice."

"Mon, I am sure that you are quite aware of the fact that I am pregnant," Leia began.

"Yes, I am certainly aware of _that_," she agreed, glancing at her protruding abdomen.

"And because of that I am going to have to change my priorities. I have thought about this subject for a long time, and I know that my job is important and that I want to continue serving the Alliance. I also know that I cannot in good conscience keep serving as a senator, as this would keep me away from my baby."

Leia was interrupted from speaking further by a mortified Mon Mothma. "Leia – we can't lose you! You are one of the most important figures in the Alliance. I was under the impression that you would take over as President some day."

"I understand that I am important to the Alliance. You did not let me finish what I was saying, though," Leia stated. "Like you said, I am an Alliance figurehead. I do not like the idea, but I can't go around changing the way that people think about me. Taking that into consideration, I would be much more useful to the Alliance as an ambassador. I am recognizable, and planets would understand that it is important to us that they join the Alliance."

"So you would like to leave the Senate and become an ambassador?" the President asked.

"Yes, very much so," Leia said, softening her tone. "I'll keep working as I have been until the baby is born, but after that I want to devote as much time as possible to my son. As an ambassador I would be going on peaceful missions, and I could take my family with me. Han could also pilot, which is something that he has been missing very much."

"Leia, though I wish that you would stay here and eventually become President, I respect your choice. I consider you my friend, and I am glad that you are going to do what you feel is right."

"Thank you, Mon. Your consent is very important to me."

"You're welcome, Leia. Now I believe that I am going to have to make you work extra hard in these next three months, pregnant or not," she teased.

"I can always pretend to faint," Leia returned. "People are always extra nervous around pregnant women. They think we're going to fall apart at any moment. I'd be rushed to Medical, and I could get a few hours off."

"I'll keep that trick in mind. Well, we'd better get started with our work. I believe that we have wasted too much time already," she said, and then looked upon Leia seriously. "Do not feel as if I am condemning your choice. You really will make a wonderful ambassador, Leia."

"Thank you."


	55. Double Vision

**Mousewolf** – Thank you! I like the deal too. Here you go!

**Dovasary** – I'm glad you like the idea! Yeah, those chapters were sort of background, but the ones coming up should be really interesting. crosses fingers Hmm…maybe I should check to see if it's a record. Well, the chapters are pretty short, so I doubt it, but that would still be really cool! And I love little kids, but that sounds like quite a handful! What's your job, if you don't mind me asking?

Oh, and my vacation was wonderful and really fun, thank you. Not really relaxing, as I was doing walking tours of Italy and Greece every day and dancing at night, but it _was_ beautiful and I am rested now. I'll be sure to keep on updating!

**ThePrincess04** – Thank you! I'm glad you liked them! That's good that you like the concept as well!

**From-Heaven2Earth **– Well, I did leave, but I'm back now! _That_ would have been quite the catfight, huh? I'm glad you like it! The next chapter's not too funny, but there should be some more coming up! laughs as she remembers some of the upcoming events

**Not a vader hater** – Thank you, and welcome to the story! I'm glad you're enjoying it!

**The Real Leia** – Oh, I'm sorry that you don't like the idea! It's just that in profic the authors had Leia be the president for like 500 years, and neglect her family and Hannie, so I wanted to change it up.

Thanks for the support of my story, and for backing up the fact that it's going somewhere and not bumbling about. I guess the reason this is so long is because it was my first fan fiction and I had so much fun writing it! And as for it being underappreciated, that comment made me really happy, actually, because before I always thought that there was something wrong with my fic or something because not that many people replied to it, but now I feel really well appreciated with all you wonderful readers. You always make my day! Well, here's some more!

**Chapter 55**

_Three months later…_

Leia sat at a table in a fancy restaurant with Han, Luke, Chewie and his family, Lando, and Ty and his parents for what they were hoping would be their last outing before the baby was born. She was sitting with her chair a good half-meter from the table, as her belly was putting a large distance between her and everything else. Han was sitting next to her, and would glance over every time she moved her hand onto her abdomen. The big day was rapidly approaching, and it seemed as if everyone's nerves had been amplified ten fold.

The baby moved and her hand shot to her belly, just as nine pairs of eyes shot in her direction.

"It's all right, the baby is just kicking," Leia assured. "I wish he would just come now, though - I'm getting tired of waiting."

As if the Force was answering her prayer, a contraction started. Her eyes grew wide, and she grasped Han's hand.

"Han…that was a contraction. The baby's coming," she yelped.

Han reacted predictably, grabbing their hospital bag and lifting Leia up into his arms with a quickness that did justice to his reputation.

He brought her to the speeder and they were at Medical in a flash. He ran up to the desk and demanded a room, something that was denied until Han brandished his blaster and threatened the secretary. Though a droid would normally be working at the desk, a human was currently holding the position and wisely acquiesced to Han's "request."

Leia felt as if she was viewing the whole scene in a different body. She did not have the reactions that she normally did – she was not surprised in the least when the secretary gave Han what he wanted without calling security. Everything seemed surreal – even the beings in the room surrounding her had an unrealistic quality. She followed Han's lead without protesting his methods of getting her a room, and lay down on the bed that was provided for her. Nurses surrounded her and, as if she were in a holofilm where everything proceeded much too rapidly, she was told to push. A doctor sat with her and coached her as she pushed, and Han gripped her hand. She threw the obligatory insults at him, but didn't feel intense pain like she was supposed to. _The pain medication must be really good_, she thought, _but I don't remember taking any._

Seemingly immediately after she had started pushing, the doctor told her that the baby was born.

"It's a girl," the doctor stated proudly, handing them the clean baby. "The next one is on the way."

"A _GIRL? THE NEXT ONE?_ What are you _talking_ about?" Leia cried.

"Your twins," the doctor said. "You _did_ know that you were having twins, didn't you?"

"No!" Leia shouted. "I was told I was having a boy. _One_ boy."

"Well, now you have twins. What kind of a mother are you, not knowing that you were having twins?" he berated. "So, you don't _want_ your daughter?"

"Of course I do! I just…" she trailed off as the next baby started coming.

Soon the baby was in her arms, along with his sister. Leia was happy, but she didn't know how she could have gone all these months not knowing that she was carrying two babies. Maybe she wasn't as fit to be a mother as she had thought…

She felt Han's arms around her, and wondered how he had come to her side so quickly. She no longer had the babies in her arms, and was wearing one of her nightshirts, not one of the hospital-issued gowns. She looked to her side and saw that Han was asleep, something which caused her much disquiet – she had no idea what had happened.

"Han," she said, shoving him so that he woke up. "Where are the babies?"

"Mmm," he mumbled. "What are you talking about?"

"The babies…where are they? We were just in the hospital, I was holding them in my arms…"

"Leia – are you on spice? What are you _talking_ about? We're in our bed, at home, and I'm pretty sure you haven't had the baby yet. Especially not in plural form."

"I can't believe I was dreaming," Leia whispered. "I had a dream that I gave birth…to twins. The doctor thought I was a horrible mother for not knowing that I had two babies."

"Ah – I see. So you're starting to have doubts that you'll be a good mother, huh?"

"I guess. I felt that I was such an awful person for not knowing that we had a daughter. I felt that I had betrayed her."

"But we _aren't_ going to have a daughter this time around. It was just a dream," Han soothed, putting a hand on her belly as if to reassure her that she was still pregnant. "How can you doubt that you'll be a wonderful mother after you gave up your position in the Senate for your children? Not too many other women would do that."

"I suppose," Leia agreed, doubts lessened considerably by the amazing man she was honored to call her husband. She grinned, thinking of the past. "You're too nice to me to be a scoundrel. Are you sure you're Han Solo, scoundrel extraordinaire?"

"I thought I told you I was a nice man."

"I thought you were lying."

"Well, can't I be a scoundrel and a nice man?"

"Hmm…a scoundrel who is also a nice man. How unlucky I am," she sighed, kissing him passionately.


	56. Nesting

**Thanks for reading, everyone! Oh yeah, and if you are reading this story and you have something to say about it, don't be shy about clicking the reply button! I live for my readers, and I love to hear back from you! **

**Mousewolf** – Is that what Han said? My hearing's not the best in the world, I guess. Twins…well you just have to wait and see! But bear in mind that this takes place about 4 years before J & J were supposed to be born.

**Vicki and Teazer** – The dream was not so much foreshadowing as making fun of the whole "oh, my water broke, oh, the baby's coming" obsession that all of cinema and television seems to have. This was written about the time my sister was having her baby, so I wanted to have something more realistic, and the dream gives you something to compare it to.

**TheRealLeia** – That's okay you haven't read the books – I don't really even like them anymore. This story is much different from the plotline of the pro novels. Sense twins in Leia's future I do not.

**Thejedistarfiregrayson** – No prob. I'm glad you're enjoying it!

**GuardianofWilds** – Thanks! Actually, I confused myself by my own writing, because I was going back to re-read it before posting it here, and I forgot it was a dream until about half way through. Blonde moment!

**CowgirlBlondie** – You changed your name! Had me confuddled for a bit. I'm glad you're enjoying this so much! Here's some more sustenance. I wouldn't want you to starve!

**SailorLeia** – No problem, your story should come first anyway. Han really is the best, isn't he? Here's the next chapter!

**Chapter 56**

_One week later…_

Han and Leia were on the _Millennium Falcon_; with Leia "resting" on a couch while Han worked on his ship, preparing for their upcoming trip off planet. Leia was restless, and would frequently stand up and walk around in an attempt to ease the aching that accompanied her pregnancy. She had not had any dreams like the one she had had a week earlier, and she was hoping that this meant she no longer had buried anxieties about being a mother. This deduction caused her to be even more impatient to have the baby, and the quiet ship filled with only the noise of Han tightening up a few bolts and connecting a few wires finally made her break the silence.

"I wish that this baby would just come out!" Leia cried as she stood up (with much difficulty) and began pacing. "I'm already a week overdue. Can't they just induce the labor?"

Han turned away from the circuit board and grinned, about to make a sarcastic comment, which he immediately regretted as Leia's eyes could have likely melted him with their glare. He opted for the truth, though the delivery was not quite as mocking as he had originally intended. "You said yourself that you wanted to 'leave it to the Force' and 'have the baby come when he was ready.' What happened to that?"

"I never said that!" she claimed, and as Han tried to catch her in a lie, she altered her statement. "Well, if I _did_ say that, I was not coherent enough to make decisions. I would never in my right mind say something along those lines."

"Or maybe you were in your 'right mind' then, and you're in your 'wrong mind' now. Did'ya think of that?"

He had hit pretty close to the mark, which infuriated her.

"Solo!" she yelled. "One more word from you and I'll…"

"What?" he baited.

"I'll sit on you!"

"Oh, no! I surrender!" he said, putting his arms up in defense.

"You'd better," she warned, crossing her arms, "or you'll be facing the weight of me _and_ your gargantuan child."

"I always love when you say such sweet things about our child," Han cracked.

"Well, it's the truth!"

"Okay," Han said, rolling his eyes. "Well now, since I have, in fact, said 'one more word,' are you going to sit on me?"

"No," she replied.

"And why not?"

"You're too tall," she mumbled.

"What was that?" he asked, cupping a hand behind his ear dramatically.

"I said 'you're too tall.'"

"Oh, so the truth is told! Finally admitting to your shortness!"

Leia sighed angrily. "If I weren't over nine months pregnant, Solo, I would jump on you!"

"Do you seriously think I would mind that?" he asked with a leer.

"Do you ever have anything else on your mind?"

"Occasionally," he grinned.

"Well, you'd better think of something else."

"What's wrong with thinking about it?"

"I'll pummel you, of course. And don't think that I won't know what you're thinking."

"Ah, so you're gonna abuse your Jedi powers on me?"

"No, just my feminine instincts. _Those_ I can abuse all I want without Luke freaking out on me."

There was a momentary pause, and then Han asked, "What were we talking about again?"

"I'm not really sure," she replied.


	57. Rebel Scum

**Chapter 57**

_Later that day…_

Han was still working on the _Falcon_ (as his beloved ship seemed forever destined to be in a state of disrepair) when Leia snapped. Her previous outburst of frustration paled in comparison to the absurdity of her current activity. Leia was cleaning.

If it were not for her pregnancy, Han would have thought that she had gone mad. She had grown frantic, her eyes darting, and had begun haphazardly emptying storage units. After the questionably important objects (a.k.a. junk) toppled to the ground, she took a large garbage bin, leaned down (holding on to a couch for support) and flung everything in. Han watched her nervously as she massacred the interior of his ship, but held back from making comments as he feared for his safety lest he incite her ire. Toward the beginning of her rampage he had tried to stop her, claiming that it was bad to do such things so late into her pregnancy, and she had simply responded, "Either I clean out your filthy ship, as I _know_ you won't do it yourself, or you get a new one. It's your choice." After that he had held his tongue.

She was not just cleaning the lounge area – she was cleaning the entire ship. Every centimeter of the ship, from cockpit to cabins, was cleaned out and meticulously shined. As she cleaned she would sigh and make various comments about Han's complete lack of cleaning skills. After cleaning avidly for about an hour, she became particularly upset.

"_Han_," she called, in a tone that all husbands universe-wide know and fear. "_What_ is this?"

Han rushed over, fearing the worst. Leia was pointing to the stove in the tiny kitchen, where there was a large accumulation of unidentifiable scum that had likely been there for years.

He shrugged. "You've never complained about it before."

"Is it really so hard to clean up a little mess? It would have been so much easier if you had cleaned it up in the first place."

"Smugglers don't usually clean up their messes, Sweetheart. And that," he said, pointing at the substance, "has got to be at least ten years old."

"I think that is the most disgusting thing I have ever heard," Leia complained, wrinkling her nose. "Which means that I'm not cleaning it up."

She handed him cleaning supplies, which he accepted in confusion.

"What am I supposed to do with this stuff?"

"Clean," she stated simply.

"But I'm not the one who cares about the mess! I'm perfectly fine with leaving it the way it is."

"Consider it practice for all the diapers you'll be changing," she provided.

"What does ten-year-old crusted scum have to do with changing diapers?" he asked.

"The fact that I'm not cleaning either of them."

"Well, I see that now we're only going to have _one_ child," he mumbled.

"What was that?" she asked.

"I just said that I'm just so happy to oblige you, dearest," he intoned.

"That's what I thought you said," she sung, before exclaiming and doubling over in pain.

"What was that?" Han asked, irritation transposing to deep concern for his wife.

"It's all right. I think I had my first contraction, but it wasn't bad."

"_Your first contraction_! I'll go com medical," he said with an authority that was meant to comfort Leia, but that he did not feel at the moment.

"It's okay. Sometimes contractions can be an hour apart in the beginning. We can wait until the next one to call the doctor."

"I'm not gonna wait around while you're in labor," he claimed, rushing toward the cockpit to use the comlink – in his panic forgetting that he had one attached to his tool belt.

"Come here," Leia said, holding out her hand to her flustered husband. "We can walk to Medical."

"No, you need to go in a speeder. We can't be too careful. Medical will send one over here. It'll be okay, don't worry," he stuttered.

"I'm not the one who's worried," she assured, still holding out her hand to him. "Now, dear, please go grab our bags and walk with me to our speeder. If we have to take a speeder it might as well be our own."

"Are you sure you can walk?"

"I'm positive."

So they made their journey to the speeder and flew to Medical (with Han likely flying the fastest that anyone ever had from the docking bay to the hospital). Leia was provided with a room without having to resort to threats; everything seemed to be as different from her dream as possible.


	58. It's Time

I'm going to Disneyland tomorrow, a.k.a. Corellia Land, on a sort of spur-of-the-moment thing, and then I'll be gone until late next week for summer advising at my college (it feels weird to type that), so it'll most likely be awhile until my next update. But stay tuned, I might just get an update in! Thank you all for reading, and if you read, please reply! I lurve reader replies!

**Vampirehelsing – **Thank you! A recommendation, eh? Sweet! I'm glad you're enjoying it!

**CowgirlBlondie** – I'm glad you liked it! Hehe…your boyfriend must wonder what in the heck is going on! Too funny. I'm glad you like the way it's going! There are still over a dozen chappies left, including some of my favorites. So it's not done yet!

**JillieRose** – I'm glad you like it! Warm and fuzzy is my specialty. Believe it or not, I actually agree with you about the letter. I do believe I was listening to the Backstreet Boys when I wrote that part a couple years ago, and it was around Valentine's Day, so…yeah. I thought about deleting it when I reposted, but I was too lazy to come up with something else. I'm glad you liked the part in ch. 26 too! Hopefully your work allows you the time to catch up!

**Mousewolf** – Those Skywalkers, indeed! Whatever will the galaxy do with them? Thanks for the recommendation, and for continuing to read and reply to my story!

**Dovasary** – I'm glad that this story made you feel better! Ooh…summer camps. I did my share of babysitting, so I know how crazy kids can get. Good luck! You'll see the baby in this story, and maybe the Solo kids when they're older if I do more after this. I've been really lazy about writing new fan fiction, though, so don't count on it anytime soon. And your brother stepped on your computer? Ack! Stupid brothers. Was it on purpose? With my brothers it probably would be, or at least it would have been back in the day when they were less "mature."

**SailorLeia** – Thank you! I'm glad you're continuing to enjoy this! The story should get funnier pretty soon!

**Jade Skywalker** – No problem! I know how life can be. Here's some more - I don't want you dying on me!

**Chapter 58**

_Several hours later…_

As Leia was not very far into her labor, the doctors had instructed her to leave her bed and walk around the halls of Medical for a while. She thought it rather amusing that it was suggested that she do exactly what Han had warned her against. Han was walking along with her, but he was looking at her as if she was going to burst at any given moment. It was excruciatingly annoying. Luckily her crowd of "mother nerfs" had left her, per her order. For a while she had had a troop of worried men behind her, following her in case she fainted or something equally appalling. Luke, Chewbacca, and Ty had been among them, but she had banished them to the waiting room, where they would be greeted with holovision reruns and chairs that had probably been specifically designed to be uncomfortable.

So now she was shuffling down the halls, trying to focus her mind and "letting the Force flow through her." It was fairly difficult with a doting husband by her side, asking her how she was every few seconds, but she was able to feel her child's presence in the Force, which brought her a sense of peace. She was attempting to lessen the pain of the contractions, however, which she was not having too much success with. Whenever a contraction hit she would lose her focus, and the techniques that Luke had taught her (how he knew about these techniques she really did not want to know) would escape her. She was starting to regret declining the doctor's offer of pain medication. But still she walked, occasionally stopping and clutching her abdomen when a contraction hit, and then continuing in her trek down the monochromatic hallways. The lights were beginning to bother her, and she was feeling tired, but she wanted to do anything that would keep her away from "the bed of the dark side" as she had dubbed it.

"Are you okay, Leia? Do you need anything?" Han asked, hardly even waiting for a response, as his mind was so full of worries and thoughts of the future that everything had become a sort of surreal dream.

"Quiet would be nice," was her succinct response.

"Hmm?"

"Could you please be quiet, Han? I'm trying to concentrate."

He came out of his trance to provide a sarcastic comment. "Concentrate? On what – the ground?"

"No – I'm trying to clear my mind and open myself up to the Force. It would be easier if a certain husband wasn't always asking the same question over and over and getting on my nerves."

"Oh, glad to know that I'm so appreciated," he sighed.

She looked at him seriously. "Of course I'm glad you're here, and I would be worried if you _didn't_ constantly ask me how I was doing, but could you maybe just calm down for a moment?"

He nodded, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders firmly. His goal was to be helpful, and if being quiet was helpful to Leia he was willing to accede to her demands.

Another contraction hit, and Han instinctively grabbed her shoulders tighter as she bent over. This time she was able to use the technique to some success, which inspired a wide grin.

She turned to Han enthusiastically. "Han! You really _should_ stay quiet!"

"And that's supposed to make me happy, why?"

"Because it makes your wife happy because her contractions aren't as painful, she'll be less likely to be angry, and therefore won't take her anger out on you. _That's_ why you should be happy."

"Sounds good," he agreed. "Just tell me if you need me to carry you back to the room or something."

"It would take something really painful to make me want to go back to _that_ bed."

For some reason her statement was placed in the "trust me/I have a bad feeling about this" category, with all the expected effects, and she immediately was overtaken with her most painful contraction yet. Han responded with his quick, honed instincts and lifted her into his arms, clutching her close to him and rushing back to the room.

Upon entering the room a doctor lifted his head from the datapad he was surveying, and looked at the couple skeptically.

"She's going into labor!" Han shouted.

"She's been in labor for several hours, actually," the doctor stated with a raise of his eyebrows.

"No, I mean…you know what I mean," he stammered.

"It's okay, General Solo. You can put her down on the bed and I'll have a look," the doctor replied casually.

"Why are you so calm?" Han nearly shouted.

"Why are you so nervous?" the doctor countered.

"Because my wife is about to have my baby, that's why!"

"Exactly. I've done this many times, while for you this is a first-time experience. I know that you are concerned for your wife, but we must not panic. Let me check her, and _then_ you can decide whether or not you want to want to be terrified."

Han reluctantly sat down next to the bed, clutching Leia's hand and glaring at the doctor as he checked Leia.

"It does indeed look as if she is getting close. Did anyone else in your party want to witness the birth?"

"Well, Luke should probably…" Han began.

Leia cut him off, in-between contractions. "No. Luke told me that though he was sure it would be beautiful, he really didn't want to see that much of his sister."

"He could still be in the room, though," Han suggested.

"Don't worry about Luke," Leia assured, and was about to add more, when she was cut off by a contraction that called for all of her attention.

The doctor began getting everything prepared at the end of the bed, providing a wake-up call for Han and Leia. Before this moment the idea of birth and actually having a child was obscure, and all their thoughts had focused on the future, towards what seemed to be a moment that would never actually come. Now that it was here their romanticized versions of parenthood and babies were crashing to a halt, and the realization of what would soon be their reality draped their minds with panic. Leia began to lose control of her hard-attained focus, and an overwhelming pain washed over her. Han's fear was emanating from him, and in turn affected Leia's state of mind. She tried desperately to take control of her mind, but her attempts only served to cause her to further lose concentration.

Her anxieties were soon somewhat calmed. Han tightly grasped her right hand in his own, and wrapped his left arm around her shoulders, providing a protective and loving embrace. At that moment, they attained a mutual understanding and peace in the realization that, no matter what, they would not be alone in the challenges of parenthood. Their whirling minds were calmed, and through the sudden newfound peace Leia was able to fully open up to the Force.

After a moment the couple looked back over to the doctor, who had finished his preparations.

"It appears as if we are about ready to begin," he declared calmly.

"Really?" the Solos asked in perfect accordance.

"Yes. On my mark, I want you to begin pushing," he instructed. "Push."

Both of the soon-to-be parents were caught up in the moment, and the surreal feeling that had previously overtaken them came back in full force. The doctor instructed Leia as Han tried to grasp hold of his senses enough to be her coach in a more emotional manner. The moment was over seemingly as soon as it started - the end signified by the squall of a newborn child.

The doctor brought the baby over to the couple, who stared in amazement at the brand new life. The baby was not cleaned, the brown hairs covering his head stuck together and matted, body covered with what would normally be very unappealing-looking substances, but to Han and Leia he was the most beautiful sight that they had ever seen.

"Congratulations. It's a boy," the doctor said with a smile.


	59. Parenthood

**Hey, everyone! Thank you all for your well-wishing; I had a very good time on my trip, thank you. Sorry for the delay - I just got a new computer, and I've been pretty busy, but you guys are wonderful and inspired me to figure out how in the heck to use the new programs and post more chapters. Sorry about not getting responses up, but all your comments are very, very much appreciated, and if any of you had questions I'll get to them as soon as possible. Enjoy this sappy chapter!**

**Chapter 59**

A nurse cleaned the baby off, and proceeded to place the baby boy in his mother's arms. His parents looked at him with all the wonderment attached to the sight of their first, newborn child. They could not believe how small his fingers were, the lightness of his weight, or the perplexity of his features that they had not before believed possible. He seemed so fragile yet so strong, a paradox that they would probably never quite comprehend. And he looked so beautiful that the two of them had a hard time keeping tears from escaping their eyes and trailing down their cheeks. Their efforts proved futile, and wetness appeared on the faces of the two tough warriors. They did not care, however, as they gazed upon the remarkable features of the life that they had created.

Leia cradled her son close to her, reveling in the feeling of holding in her arms the life she had sheltered in her body for over nine months. She could not speak; words seemed meaningless at this moment. She stared at her son, barely blinking, and then looked over at Han with wide eyes. She saw the dampness on his cheeks, and the intensity of the stare that he was directing upon their child. She turned his chin toward her, and she saw that none of the intensity left his stare as he looked into her eyes.

"I love you," he stated simply, and kissed her. She gave in to the kiss, barely having enough strength left inside of her to respond in kind. The kiss was unlike any they had shared before. It was as if a piece that neither of them had known was missing was now in place, and they were complete.

Han pulled away so they could both return their attentions to their son. The passion lingered in his gaze. Before Leia would turn the whole of her attentions to her baby, however, she had to speak her thoughts.

"I know you love me, Han. And of course I love you too. Seeing our baby just…" she began, but stopped as her feelings became too strong to communicate.

"I know exactly how you feel, Leia," he replied.

Leia met his gaze again, and knew that he needed to hold their baby just as much as she did. She tenderly and carefully placed their son in Han's arms. Han looked unsure as she made the motion, but as soon as the baby was in his arms he felt more at peace, more at home in the galaxy than he had ever felt. He remembered his past, his days of living in the streets and smuggling, and thanked the Force, the Corellian Gods, everything for the good fortune that had so graciously been bestowed upon him. He vowed from that moment forth that his son would never be like he had been. His son would never grow up feeling unwanted, would never shut himself out from the world, and would never have to hide his feelings. His son would appreciate the life that had been given to him, and would be free to do whatever he wanted to with it. Han vowed to do everything in his power to protect, care for, and love his son. He would show his son the galaxy, and would be the man that his son could look up to - the man who had never been there for him. As these self-avowals and thoughts danced through his head, Han held his son to his chest and felt the soft heartbeat that beat so rhythmically. This was his son, and the thought filled his soul with gratitude and love.

"What should we name him?" Han asked suddenly.

"I have no idea. None of the names we thought of seem to fit him. I'm sure it will come to us eventually, though."

"I sure hope so. Otherwise he might end up being 'Han Solo Jr.' and I'm sure the galaxy wouldn't want that."

"No. I don't think the galaxy's ready for two Han Solos. Not that it would be a bad thing, though."

"I dunno. I don't want him to be like me. Maybe he could be 'Leio Solo' in the hopes that he'll turn out to be like his mother."

"I really hope you're kidding."

"Of course. No son of mine is going to have the name 'Leio.' I _do_ want him to be like you, though."

Leia merely smiled at him, not wanting the conversation to turn into a contest over who could flatter the other more. She decided to change the subject.

"Why don't we have Luke and the others come in?"

Han nodded, and cautiously gave his son back to Leia. With a quick look back at Leia and their son, he proceeded to the waiting room to get their friends and family and tell them the wonderful news.


	60. The Name Game

**Chapter 60**

Han walked down the dreary halls of the hospital with an exuberance that did not seem to fit his surroundings. His step had gained a bounce that only an extraordinary event could be responsible for. He headed for the waiting room, overwhelmed with excitement and nervousness, and prepared to tell everyone the fantastic news.

He walked into an eerily quiet room. He saw the eager face of his brother-in-law, evidently knowledgeable of his reason for coming, and all of his friends who were so anxious to hear what he had to say. He tried to hold on to his secret information, savor the moment and increase the anticipation, but his will to tell the world about his son overcame any desire he had for teasing.

"We have a boy," he wheezed, immediately engulfed with hugs and exclamations of congratulations.

Luke was the first one to reach him, and once he did he almost knocked Han over with the degree of exuberance he displayed. His sister and best friend had brought a new life into the world, and he could not have been happier. Chewie was next, along with his family, and they were in danger of crushing the new father with their excited hugs before Ty came to Han's rescue and took their place. Once everyone had hugged and congratulated him the questions began.

"What did you name him?" Luke asked.

"We haven't picked out a name yet. Maybe you guys can help us with that."

"I thought you two had already had names picked out," Luke observed.

"Yeah, but none of them seem right. You have to see him, he's so unique, so little …" Han said, emotional in a way that would have been unheard of in his days as a smuggler.

I would like to see your new cub, little one, Chewie barked.

"Yeah," Han replied in a daze. As soon as Chewie's statement was comprehended, however, the vibrancy returned in full force, and he enthusiastically led the large group to the delivery room. Normally only a few guests were allowed in the room, but the medics wisely decided to give Leia the "princess treatment" and let the whole group inside.

Han immediately went to Leia's side and brought all his attention back to his newborn son, none of the wonder gone from his gaze. He doubted that he would ever get used to the sight of his son. Everyone else in the room drew their gazes to the bundle that Leia was holding, eager for their turn to hold him.

Leia handed the baby to Han, who hesitantly gave him over to Luke. The new uncle was entranced by the sight of his nephew, and could not believe how detailed his features were, nor how such a small creature managed to look exactly like both of his parents. His entire concept of what a baby was rapidly changed. He understood the wonder and excitement that had filled the new parents, and how they had trouble giving him up to the arms of others. He had a difficult time handing the boy to Chewie, even though he knew that his time holding the baby was over.

Chewie cradled the boy with surprising gentleness, and voiced his thoughts with a quiet awe.

Your cub is so beautiful. I cannot believe that my cub has a cub of his own. I know now that you have finally grown up, little one. I never thought the day would come. he chuckled, patting Han on the back.

"Thanks, buddy. I think," Han returned.

Malla, Lumpy, Ty, Lando, and the rest of the group took their turns holding the newborn. They all voiced their declarations of how beautiful he was without having to enhance their claims. He really was a beautiful baby. They then returned the baby back to his parents.

The room became comfortably quiet. Nobody spoke as they thought about the situation. Several people were startled when Leia suddenly broke the silence.

"Alden," she blurted. "His name is Alden."

"Alden?" Han asked. "I like it. But how did you come up with that name?"

"On Alderaan it was a name given to boys who were especially blessed by the gods. It means 'defender of peace and democracy.' It's the most honorable name an Alderaanian can have."

"It's perfect," Han gasped, looking at his son with a new perspective. Thinking about what she said, he grinned. "Or maybe you shouldn't give him the most honorable Alderaanian name. I think the Solo in his name might counteract that."

Leia laughed. "True, or maybe it will do just the opposite."

"What? I've never heard of an honorable Corellian."

"I have to say that his father is pretty honorable."

"Sure," Han said with a wave of his hand, trying to ignore the compliment. "Anyway, I like the name. Alden Solo. It has a nice ring to it."

"I'm glad you like it," Leia said, kissing him.

"I like it too," Luke agreed.

Chewie and the rest roared, nodded or spoke their affirmation.

"Well it's settled," Han stated, taking the baby into his arms. "Alden Solo, welcome to the galaxy."


	61. Welcome Home

**Well, since I missed giving my readers responses last time I updated, I'm going to go ahead and reply to those, along with the new ones, now. I can't believe how many readers I have, looking through all the reviews! Thank you everyone for reading! The 1 and 2 next to some readers' names refers to two different reviews they gave.**

**Mousewolf - **Okay, I get it. You really wanted him to be named Anakin. But his name is Alden! Tee-hee, tee-hee! Thank you for being such a faithful reader, and enjoying it despite the name (or what it is not)!

**CowgirlBlondie** - 1)Your BOYFRIEND read it! "Ok" sounds like a typical response! I'm glad you loved it!

2) Wow, I can't believe that this story might have inspired your boyfriend to ask you to marry him! Good luck with the proposal! I hope it happens! If so, invite me to the wedding! That would be funny. Someone would say, "so how do you know the bride?" And I'd say, "oh, I just wrote a Star Wars fan fic about Han and Leia and the birth of their son and that's why they're getting married." Hilarious!

There should be some more humor coming up in the next chapters (one of them is my favorite), so I hope you enjoy!

**Dovasary** - I'm so flattered that you enjoyed the chapter so much! I wrote it right after my sister gave birth to my nephew, so I tried to make it as realistic as possible. The only problem was that I wasn't in the room when she gave birth, I was only there for emotional support (and to meet my nephew!) before and after the birth. So basically everything having to do with the actual birth is guesswork.

Yes, I had a great time at Disneyland, especially finally getting to go on Space Mountain after it had been closed down for such a long time (well, it seemed like it to me, anyway, since we go all the time), and going on Astro Blasters (which is new in Anaheim).

**GreatOne** - "Aw" is right! Thank you for reading again! And yes, Disneyland was great - it was the 50th anniversary so they kept on trying to shove cupcakes down our throats all day. They ordered something like 100,000 cupcakes and there were only 30,000 people or something, so they were giving them out everywhere.

**SoloShodan** - Thank you for reading! I was never planning on having them have twins - that was just a teaser chapter. I'm glad you enjoyed it, and thank you for the well-wishing!

**Vampirehelsing** - 1) Thank you for reading and enjoying the fic! It's great to see another H/L shipper.

2) Actually, I know someone named Alden, so I didn't just make it up. It seemed Star Warsy enough, and I wanted to use a name that wasn't already taken by either another character or by pro fic novelists. At least it's kinda cute, though! ;)

**Jade Skywalker** - You're welcome! Yes, Han had good reason to be a nervous wreck. It was quite a change for him! More coming!

**SailorLeia **- 1)Thank you for enjoying this, as always! It's fun to imagine Han carrying Leia around - it seems like something he'd do, with their size difference and all. Much love to you, too!

2) Why, thank you so much! It's quite nice to hear my writing described as "incredible" and "beautiful!" It definitely helps me to keep going with my writing!

**TheRealLeia** - I either knew that (more than one push for a birth) and forgot it, or I didn't know. I've never been witness to an actual birth (not including hospital waiting rooms), if that's any excuse. I'm glad that it was fairly accurate, though! Like I said before, I saw my sister's labor, so I knew about that part of it, at least.

**Dove** - Lazy yet bored, boy, do I know that feeling! I'm glad that you like the name. I think it really does mean that (other than the Alderaan part); I searched baby names online for one that sounded good and was meaningful. Thank - Thank you for reading! There's some more coming up.

**Padme'sHandmaidens** (a.k.a. **Jade Skywalker) **- Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Here's some more!

**EsmeAmelia** - Thank you for finally reviewing! It is definitely appreciated. That was quite a compliment that you gave me about my characterizations of them and descriptions of their emotions! And I'm glad that you think it's fun - that's what I was going for. Thank you again!

**Chapter 61**

The next few hours whirled past as everyone dear to the couple came to see their new baby. Even Threepio and Artoo stopped by for a visit. Threepio was puzzled with the new parents' jubilant behavior, denoting their enthusiasm to a temporary psychosis, while Artoo joyfully rocked back and forth as his ocular sensor perceived the happy scene.

Everyone who visited throughout the day imparted on the new parents little tidbits of advice and wishes of goodwill, and the couple tried to pay attention, but baby Alden proved to be such a wonderful distraction that most of the departing guest's words went unnoticed. Their first thoughts and impressions upon seeing their son for the first time were still ringing through their minds, and they were not yet used to the sight of the boy, nor did they think that they ever would be. Their thoughts sometimes wobbled on the fine line between awe and fear, for they knew that soon this child would be solely their responsibility, and that they would have to take him home and care for him without the constant guidance of doctors and family. This fear never lasted long in the face of their joy, however, as they once again took comfort from the presence of each other. When the time came for them to leave medical and head back home they did so without trepidation.

Upon entering their home they glanced at Alden, who was asleep as he had been most of the time since his birth. He seemed more at peace and comfortable in sleep than he had any right to be. Han and Leia selfishly wanted him to be awake so that they could look upon his features as they were in a state of wondrous awareness, and see his eyes so full of life and consciousness. They did not wish to wake him, however, and brought him into their bedroom, gently placing him in the bassinette that he would sleep in until the time came for him to move into his own room. The parents stood back and watched him sleep; entranced by the way his tiny chest rose and fell with every breath. Han wrapped both of his strong arms around Leia's waist, which was now much thinner than the day before, and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"He looks like you," he murmured into her hair.

She turned around and looked up at him quizzically. "And why exactly do you think that?"

"I dunno. Maybe it's his scrunched-up face."

She elbowed him playfully. "Thanks, _darling_. I appreciate the jibe considering the fact that I was just in labor for hours giving birth to your son."

"You're welcome," he grinned. "No, really, he does look like you. I don't really know how, but he does."

"I think he looks more like you," she replied. "He has your eyes."

"Not that you can ever see them the way he sleeps all the time."

"True," she whispered, leaning against him. "But he _is_ beautiful."

"I'm not arguing against that," he said, leaning down and meeting her lips in a kiss.

A moment later they looked to the bassinette and saw Alden's hazel eyes staring up at them.

"Aww, hey little guy," Han said, lifting him out of the bassinette and into his arms. "Say hello to your mommy."

Leia smiled and took her son's tiny hand in her own. "Hello, Alden. I'm glad you decided to wake up."


	62. Arrival of the Prince

**Okay, I want to say/ask two things. **

**First, I was considering changing the story's summary, as I had some ideas to how it could be improved, and I just wanted to make sure that this would pose no problems for anyone in finding the story on the site, etc. Please tell me if this would be a problem for anyone, or if for some reason they think it should be left alone. Feedback would be very much appreciated.**

**Second, I want to give a little background to this that may add to the humor of this chapter. _The Courtship of Princess Leia_ (otherwise known as COPL) is infamous among many Han and Leia fans for perceived poor characterization, unrealistic situations, and lack of romance (no offense is meant against the author, just stating the opinions of others), and most especially for the character of Prince Isolder. He had long, blonde hair, rippling muscles, and the ability to make Leia consider him over Han. Therefore, due to his appearance and character, he was dubbed by many H/L fans "Prince Fabio." "Prince Fabio" became a character in his own right, as you will see.**

**Chapter 62**

Everyone had gone to bed in high spirits, looking forward to the next day. The new parents were not expecting their next day to start two hours after they fell asleep, however. They had been comfortable in their warm bed, dreaming of the angelic features of their son, when they were rudely awakened. At first they weren't sure what the noise was, thinking that it was possibly alarms again, and were almost shocked when they realized that it was Alden crying. They had imagined him sleeping for ten hours longer judging by the length of time he had slept the day before – evidently they were a little off in their supposition.

Leia rolled out of bed and shuffled to the bassinette. She saw little Alden's face, red and scrunched up, as he continued to bawl. She picked him up and rocked him gently in her arms, sending him soothing thoughts. He calmed down slightly and his color began to return to normal, but he did not stop crying.

She felt Han's warm body brush up against her back, and almost jumped as he spoke softly into her ear.

"I think he's hungry, sweetheart," he whispered. "I would act like I was too, if I were him."

She rolled her eyes, but proceeded to feed Alden. "And what exactly do you mean by that?"

"I mean exactly what you think I mean."

"And what do you think I think you mean?"

"That he gets his food from a particularly nice source," he replied, most likely grinning, though his facial expressions were difficult to see in the dark.

"You are absolutely juvenile," she replied, feigning exasperation.

"Not me – you must be talking about squirt here," Han replied, gently brushing his son's soft cheek.

"Our son will never have your warped sense of humor. He will be extremely well-educated and will thus be above such immature behavior," Leia replied, lifting her chin haughtily. Her true feelings were given away by the smile she attempted to hide, but she decided to play along with her chosen character for a while longer. "His high-education will keep him from having any questionable tendencies."

"If our son starts becoming a sissy because of his 'high-education,' I'll kidnap him from school and take him on a supply run on the _Falcon_. Once he sees how much better it is he'll never want to go back."

"Would not I have a say in the matter?" Leia asked.

"Surely we'll be divorced long before that," he stated in as serious a voice as he could muster.

"And you would be violating your restraining order," Leia returned.

Alden hiccupped, bringing the attention of both parents back to their newborn son.

"I guess he wants us to stop, huh?" Han asked. He leaned down close to his son and whispered. "Don't worry, kiddo, we're just joking. There's nothing in this universe that would break us apart. Unless a prince from some random planet with long, flowing, blonde hair comes to the door and demands your mother's hand, of course."

At that moment, someone knocked at the door. The sound reverberated through the house, and was almost deafening in comparison to their near-silence. Han stood up; both angry that someone would come here so early in the morning and surprised that someone would come at that exact moment. He opened the door and was met with someone of his exact description, who was wearing a flowing purple gown (how it was flowing without any wind was highly questionable), stared with piercing eyes and was holding a mirror in his right hand.

"You called?" the man asked, sweeping his waterfall-like hair back with his left hand as he held up the mirror to check his handiwork.

"Not really," Han scoffed.

"But you _did_. I have special radar, telling me when someone wants me. You want me, do you not?"

"No, I really _do not_."

"Of course you want me. Everyone want Fabio, prince of planet Ican'tbelieve, not to confuse with planet It's Notbutter. Except for planet of Gooselvania, of course. Geese have been at war with Ican'tbelievians for centuries."

"Tragic," Han drawled, looking for a subject to divert his attention. "So, what's the problem between your planets?"

"It happened from commercial. Ican'tbelievians and It's Notbutters made a margarine together, and put commercial on holovison. I was spokesperson. Geese no like commercial, call it 'annoying,' so they start war."

"I thought you said that the war has been going on for centuries."

"Oh," the prince mumbled. "I was wrong. War start after commercial, has been happening for few years. First act of war when I went on ride on my planet, not suspecting anything. Goose try to ruin my beautiful face."

As Han was listening to the prince's speech, Leia came out of the bedroom without Alden, evidently done feeding him.

"Han, Alden fell asleep again. You can come back to bed," she suggested, not looking at his companion. When Han did not respond immediately she looked up, amazed to see the god-like figure standing in her doorway. "Han…_who_ is that?"

"Uh, Leia, this is Fabio, prince of Ican'tbelieve. Fabio, this is my wife Leia."

The two greeted each other politely, with Fabio stooping down to kiss her hand.

"Such soft hands you have. It is shame they are not soft as mine," he remarked, checking his hair in the mirror again.

"Sure," Leia said, moving closer to Han to whisper to him. "What is that man doing in our house? He's kind of scary-looking."

"I know. I think he's delusional, so just play along with it for a while. He thinks that the planet of 'Gooselvania' is at war with his home planet."

"Okay," she replied, wondering why this had to happen to them. She turned to Fabio. "So, Prince Fabio, what are you doing on New Alderaan?"

"I come here to pose for covers of romance holo-novels. Fabio is God's gift to women. When they see my face on cover of holo-novel, they must buy."

"Um, okay…so why exactly are you _here_?"

"Because you want me, of course."

"No, I'm sorry Fabio…"

"_Prince_ Fabio," he interrupted.

"Okay, _Prince_ Fabio, I just had a baby and I am very tired, so it would be extraordinarily nice if you left now. Otherwise I might have to call the authorities."

"The authorities?" Fabio asked, eyes growing wide with fear. "I will go now. But wait, I must give this to you first," he said as he reached into his pocket, pulled out a blue and silver container and threw it to her.

She looked it over, seeing that the description deemed it "Fabio's Healing Cream."

"Put on hands five times every day," he told her. "Then hands look good as mine."

"Uh, thank you," she stuttered.

"No act is too kind when beauty involved. If you ever need beautiful face, look for Fabio," he said, and then twirled out of the house with a flourish.

"Han, I'm pretty sure that that's the strangest thing that has ever happened to us."

"And I think that it's the strangest thing that will _ever_ happen to us," he replied, and then the two of them walked back to bed.


	63. The Uncle

**Geesh! I can't believe how long it's been since I updated! I'm so sorry! I hope you're all still reading!**

**SailorLeia - **Thank you so much! Wow! I didn't realize how funny it was! blushes You're so kind!

**GreatOne** - Thank you! It's my favorite chapter too.

**Mousewolf** - Yup. Random is my middle name. Um, sort of.

**lolegolas** - Thank you! I'm glad that you enjoyed it!

**Dovasary** - 1. Ooh, congrats on your niece! Is she here already? I must admit that I wanted my sister to have a girl, but I love my nephew anyway! And thank you for saying that my characterizations were right on. That's what an author likes to hear! And I realize that you are both Dove and Dovasary - I was just kind of flighty when I wrote the responses, I think.

2. Thank you so much! Yup, I wanted to harm that book when I was reading it as well. Thank you for choosing my story as one of your faves!

**CowgirlBlondie** - Oh, wow! Congratulations on getting engaged! That's so exciting! And thank you so much for your review - I'm glad that you find it funny!

**TheRealLeia** - Yup, Han definitely looks quite intelligent in comparison to Prince Fabio. Sorry it's been so long in between chapters - I'll try to get better! And good luck with school! Rock on, Garth!

**HannahSolo** - Yeah, it's pretty mushy there for the first few chapters. But it gets funnier, or so I've been told.

**Chapter 63**

_The next day (or the next morning…or the same morning)…_

Han got out of bed and stretched his arms high above his head, attempting to loosen tired muscles. He felt worn-out and achy, and instantly wondered when he had become so out-of-shape. He didn't even remember doing any activity that could have caused such discomfort. He paused, and then recalled that he had carried a very pregnant Leia to the delivery room the day before. That wasn't exactly what one would call an ordinary occurrence.

Smiling, he looked to the bassinette and saw that Alden was still asleep, just like his mother. He saw the resemblance in their soft features, highlighted by the utter peace that sleep imposed. He assumed that most people would comment on the similarities between father and son in the future, but he knew that his son would always remind him of Leia.

He also recalled the bizarre occurrences of earlier that morning, and for a brief moment believed the whole mess to be a dream. It was not a dream this time, though, however he wished it had been. He shook his head and tried to block the assailing images of "Prince Fabio" from entering his consciousness, but the image was so strange and prevalent that it was an impossible feat. Hopefully either Leia or Alden would wake up soon and provide a much-appreciated distraction.

Han tiptoed out of the bedroom, carefully maneuvering around the bassinette, and released a sigh as he safely made it out of the room. He moved to the kitchen to pour himself a cup of kaffe, something that would be necessary in order to survive the day. He was about to take a swig of the beverage when someone knocked at the door. He jumped back, startled, and some of the hot liquid splashed on his shirt, causing considerable pain.

"Arrrghhh!" Han shouted, grabbing a towel and futilely trying to wipe the kaffe off. "Who the Sith is that? It'd better not be Fabio again!" he shouted at the mysterious figure outside the door.

"Who's Fabio?" the familiar voice of Luke returned.

"Oh, Luke!" Han said, relieved that it was his brother-in-law and not a self-absorbed, purple cape-wearing prince from an imaginary planet. He was still angry about the spilled kaffe, though.

He walked to the door, opened it, and was greeted with the excited face of his best (human) friend. Luke came forward and hugged Han, grinning.

"So, how was your first night as a father, Han?" Luke eagerly asked.

"_Interesting_ is the best word to describe it, I guess."

"Interesting, huh?" Luke repeated. "Did you get any sleep?"

"Not really. The little guy woke up just after we went to bed. And then there was Fabio…"

"Who _is_ Fabio?"

"It's a long story, and I don't know if I was hallucinating or not."

"You can tell me. I can listen as long as you want me to, and then I can decide whether you were 'hallucinating or not.'"

"No, you'll _definitely_ think I was hallucinating after I tell you the story. Just wait until Leia wakes up, and then you can ask _her_ who Fabio is."

Luke considered Han's words, and then nodded in agreement. He then tried to change the subject. "Is Alden awake?" he asked.

"No, not yet," Han replied. "Why did you come here so early, anyway? You didn't even tell us you were coming over."

"I wanted to see my new nephew, of course. And I wanted to surprise you guys. I assumed that you would all be awake by now."

"Well, you have no such luck, kid. You're stuck with me for a while."

Luke sighed dramatically. "That's too bad, since you know I hate you so much."

"I know. We just have to act nice to each other until Leia and Alden wake up. We don't want to wake them up with all our shouting, ya know," Han replied with a wink.

The two men went and sat on the couches and discussed their lives, focusing primarily on the subjects of Jedi matters and fatherhood. They did a remarkably good job pretending that they didn't hate each other. They talked for almost an hour before a radiant Leia entered the room with Alden.

"Well, I certainly wasn't expecting to see _this_ when I woke up," Leia commented, appraising the two chatting men seated on the couches.

Han and Luke turned their gazes up and smiled at her. Luke stood up and hugged her awkwardly, then looked down at his tiny nephew.

"Can you believe that he's actually here?" Luke asked, moving his forefinger across his nephew's cheek.

"No," she responded, focusing on her son's eyes, which he was valiantly trying to keep open. "I keep on forgetting that he's not inside me anymore. That I can't protect him by protecting myself."

"Don't worry, Leia. He'll be well protected. He's got his tough Jedi uncle," Luke replied.

Han snorted.

Luke turned around and glared at his brother-in-law. "What was that for?"

"Nothing, nothing," Han said, putting his hands up.

Luke rolled his eyes, trying to ignore his wisecracking friend, and looked for a new subject to discuss. "So Leia," he began, "who exactly was this Fabio?"


	64. Lyin' Eyes

**Chapter 64**

Leia met Luke's eyes and winked, and he gave a slight nod in return. She tried to hide the mischievous smile that had unexpectedly appeared, and pasted a frown upon her face. She furrowed her eyebrows in concern, tilted her head to the right, and looked intently at Luke.

"Fabio?" she questioned. "I've never heard of anyone named 'Fabio.'"

"Oh," Luke sighed. "Han told me that a prince named Fabio came to your door early this morning and talked with you two. I guess he was just dreaming."

"I wasn't dreaming!" Han protested.

"No, you really were dreaming, Han. I don't remember anyone coming to our door this morning, and I would definitely remember if a prince came here," she replied with a shake of her head.

"No! I _know_ that I wasn't dreaming! I even tried to convince myself that it was a dream, but there's no way I could've thought up _this_," he stated.

"Maybe you dreamt that because of the conversation we had before we went to sleep. You said that the only thing that would break us apart was if a prince came from far away and demanded my hand, so maybe that just stuck in your mind."

"No, I said that after we woke up the first time! We woke up because Alden was crying, and you fed him, which was why I said…"

"You must have dreamt that too, because Alden slept through the night," Leia interrupted. "He's such a good boy." She looked down at her son with motherly affection.

"No, he didn't. I tell you, there's no way I thought all that up – it's too strange! No normal person would be able to make that up," he argued.

"You don't consciously make up dreams, though, Han," Luke put in.

Han looked puzzled and a little bit disturbed, and for a moment considered that perhaps it had been a dream. Then he remembered the proof.

"Wait!" Han said. "I can _prove_ that it really happened."

He strode over to the kitchen counter and grabbed a blue and silver container. "This is what he gave Leia – 'Fabio's Healing Cream.' See?" he said as he showed the container to Luke.

"Oh, Han," Leia said with a laugh. "I got that at my baby shower! You must have seen the name and that's why the prince was named Fabio in your dream."

"This was _not_ here before," Han proclaimed, though as he looked at the container he questioned the veracity of his statement. It's not as it he went around memorizing where all of Leia's beauty products were.

"Okay, so maybe I was dreaming," he said, hard as it was for him to admit that he was possibly mistaken.

"Yes, you're right - you did dream about Fabio of the planet Ican'tbelieve. But there's no such planet as Gooselvania, you know. And no one poses for holo-novels anymore," Leia said stoically, before bursting out into laughter. Luke followed suit shortly after.

"Hey!" Han complained. "I can't believe you guys did that to me!"

"Yeah, Ican'tbelieve is the name of the planet," Luke laughed. Leia, enjoying his jibe, pushed him lovingly and laughed even harder. Alden was awakened by all the noise, and opened his eyes wide, watching everyone. He looked as if he was about to cry, until his father took action.

"I'll be taking my son now," Han declared, standing up and taking Alden from Leia's arms into his own. "I don't want you guys to influence him with your cruelty. He's lucky that at least _one_ of his parents isn't mean."

"And you're not?" Leia asked, raising her eyebrows. She would have a few moments of intelligible remarks before her laughing attack returned. "Don't tell me that you wouldn't have done the same thing in our situation."

"Of course I wouldn't!" he immediately and emphatically stated.

"C'mon, Han," Luke began. "You know you would not only have done the same thing, you would have been planning it since the moment you woke up. Or since the moment you met this Fabio."

"No, I wasn't planning anything like this!" he contested, then, upon thinking his statement over, revised himself. "Okay, maybe I thought a little bit about trying to trick Leia. But that was only _thinking_, I didn't _do_ it."

"Yeah, but you were thinking about it, so you can't exactly play innocent," Luke replied. He then moved on in the hopes of satisfying his curiosity. "So, you never told me the whole story about the prince. What happened, exactly?"

Han and Leia relayed the story, with Luke opening his eyes wide at various points throughout the tale. When they were finished, he was speechless for a moment. When he was able to comprehend enough of the bizarre story to vocalize, he showed his feelings.

"That is the most ridiculous story I've ever heard," he claimed. "Are you sure that really happened, Leia?"

"Contrary to what seems logical, it really happened," Leia smiled.

"Well, now I can see why we almost had Han convinced that he had dreamt it all up. You two really know how to attract the 'interesting' characters, don't you?" Luke asked.

"It seems that way, doesn't it?" Han agreed.

A moment later they heard another knock on the door. Luke stood up to answer it, and opened the door to reveal Ty, his parents, Chewie, Malla, Lumpy, Lando, Wedge, Threepio, Artoo, and possibly some other creatures (perhaps Ewoks) who were hidden by the enormous Wookiees. Evidently everyone had had the same idea.

"You really need to stop making comments like that, Luke," Han said, rolling his eyes. To top it all off, Alden started crying.


	65. Out on the Streets

**Thank you for reading!**

**Dovasary - **Um, I'm not sure that this ever quite morphs into a real tale. It's sort of a conglomeration of random moments that go together chronologically, and sometimes connect to the next chapter. That's the problem with not having a plot line. ;) But, I'm glad that you're having fun! Hopefully it will become more tale-ish in upcoming chapters.

**EsmeAmelia - **Thanks! Glad you thought it was funny.

**TheRealLeia - **Hehe...I understand about school. Yup, Leia was mean; she can be that way sometimes. That Luke! Thanks for reading!

**Vampirehelsing - **Thank you! I'm glad you thought it was funny! Here's more:

**Chapter 65**

The plethora of people marched into the house as Han hurriedly tried to soothe Alden. It seemed as if everyone tried to calm the baby down at once, resulting in an even more boisterous atmosphere, which served to upset Alden further. Han rocked him back and forth, trying to evade the grasping arms of knowing mothers who "just knew" that they had the best method for calming him down. He finally gave up, handing him off to Leia, who had deduced that his crying was due to hunger. Everyone sighed with disappointment as she scurried off into the bedroom with Alden.

Since they no longer had their cute little baby to look at, they re-congratulated Han, and shuffled their feet around, unsure of what to do in the situation. Some asked Han about the night, and tried to make conversation. Han replied to as many questions as he could without bringing the infamous Fabio into the story, but soon the group seemed to have lost their inquisitiveness. They _had_ come to see the baby, after all. In order to bring some semblance of comfort to the room, Han stooped down to Ty's height, and conversed with the little boy.

"So, Ty, what do you think about Alden?"

"He's pretty neat. He doesn't do much, though," he replied.

"That's because he's a baby. Babies need other people to do stuff for them," Han explained.

"Why can't I be a baby? Then I wouldn't have to clean my room or anything," Ty grumbled.

"You already got your chance to be a baby. Besides, being a baby wouldn't be that fun anyway. You couldn't play games, or go on roller coasters, or talk, or anything like that. It would be pretty boring."

"I guess," he sighed, then moved onto a question that had obviously been disturbing him for long time. "So, are you still gonna hang out with me, Han? I know you have a baby now, so maybe you don't want to play with me anymore."

"Of course I'll still hang out with you, kid! The baby might take a lot of my attention for a while because he's so little, but I'll always find some time to hang out with you," Han replied, ruffling Ty's hair.

"But aren't you going away soon? You won't see me then," Ty pointed out.

Han put both hands on Ty's shoulders and looked at him earnestly. "I'll tell you what – as soon as we get back I'll take you somewhere fun, and it'll be just me and you the whole day. That sound good?"

Ty nodded. Han stood up and patted the boy on the back, then, upon noticing Threepio, turned to the droid. "Hey Goldenrod, what have you been doing lately? Roaming the streets?"

"Why, Sir," Threepio cried. "You have indeed surprised me with your knowledge. How were you aware of my time spent in the streets?"

Han stared at him, dumbfounded. "What was that, Threepio?"

"I asked, how were you aware of my time spent in the streets? I did not know that anyone other than Artoo and I were aware of our situation."

"Nice one, Threepio. I think you've been spending too much time around me for your own good," Han replied.

"But Sir, it's true!" the droid claimed. Artoo rolled back and forth enthusiastically, attempting to affirm his cohort's story. Threepio continued: "When you and Princess Leia had your child we were not allowed to stay with you, per your orders, and Master Luke turned us down in a similar fashion. Therefore Artoo and I decided to go walking down the streets of New Alderaan, and we continued our activity for quite some time. It was rather frightening at night, but we were able to stay with a man who had taken up residence in an alleyway. He was quite nice, actually."

Han took some time to process the absurd words of the golden droid, and then, upon thinking of the ridiculous events that he had experienced lately, he decided that perhaps Threepio was not lying after all. This idea was obviously contrary to the opinions of everyone else in the room, if the stunned looks on everyone's faces were any judge. It was quite uncharacteristic for Threepio to take such actions, after all.

The entrance of Leia and Alden stifled any further incredulous comments. The baby now looked completely tranquil, and looked upon the crowd with wide eyes. His mother looked happy to see the faces of everyone in the room, and eagerly asked if anyone wanted to hold him. Everyone wanted to, of course.

He is very beautiful, Chewie said as the tiny baby was placed in his colossal, furry arms. He was very quick with his meal. He must take after his father. he added with a chuckle.

"Actually, he wasn't hungry after all, Chewie," Leia responded. "I think he was just afraid because there were so many people in the room."

"That's not a very good sign for someone born into _this_ crazy family," Han joked.

Well, at least your cub is not afraid of _me_, Chewie stated proudly. Then, upon remarking several more times about the handsomeness of Han and Leia's "cub," he handed Alden over to Malla.

Everyone received a turn holding the baby again, and when Han took his son back into his arms, everyone began to follow him around wherever he went. They crowded around him and looked over his shoulders, seemingly never getting enough of the little boy. He was special, after all. He was the first child born to leaders of the Rebellion, and would doubtless attract an overabundance of attention, both from family and media, until another new hope for the Alliance was born.

uses Jedi mind trick You WILL review this story.


	66. Roll Out

**Chapter 66**

After everyone left, Han collapsed next to Leia onto one of the comfortable couches that had been calling to him ever since the guests had arrived. She was feeding Alden, and giving herself the rest that was necessary after giving birth. The two new parents gazed at each other knowingly.

"Well, that was fun," Han stated sarcastically.

Leia rolled her eyes. "If they keep doing that every morning I'll end up murdering someone within the week."

"Now _that_ would be a great image for the Alliance. I can see the headline now – 'Senator Organa Solo murders unsuspecting citizen. All chaos breaks loose.'"

"But you're forgetting that I'm an Ambassador now. It'll just serve to make me more intimidating to the planets we visit, and more of them will join."

"I don't think that'll work. Maybe if you just torture the person or something you'll look intimidating. Otherwise I think they just won't let you on the planet."

Leia rubbed her chin dramatically. "I don't know – torture might not be enough."

The conversation lulled for about a minute, then Han stated, "We're sick."

"Pretty much," Leia agreed.

Han turned to Alden. "Good luck having a normal life, kiddo."

_Three months later…_

Han, Leia, Chewie, Alden and (unfortunately) Threepio were on the _Falcon_, going on their first Ambassadorial visit. They had refrained from murdering anyone (which was probably best for everyone), and had enjoyed plenty of leisure time on New Alderaan with their new son. Both parents had grown restless of being planet-bound, however, and the opportunity for Leia to make use of her Ambassadorial status could not have come at a better time.

Alden was growing fast, too fast it seemed for Han and Leia, and his features were becoming more defined. The comments by various people about his resemblance to either of his parents were innumerable. Most thought him to be more like his father in appearance, however, as his eyes carried the same color and spark as Han's. His hair was growing in thicker, and was, as anybody would expect from a glance at his parents, a dark shade of brown.

Alden was also growing in awareness. He was now able to lift his head up without support, and was almost able to roll over. His progress, though perhaps only slightly advanced in comparison to his fellow babies, was a constant source of wonder to both parents, and they would often marvel at how their child could be so gifted at such an early age.

As that seems to be quite enough description of little Alden, it makes sense that we should move on to a description of the trip. A few days before Mon Mothma had told the couple of a proposed alliance with a small planet called Ican'tbelieve, and had implied that the two of them might venture there to stimulate the planet's interest. Leia had instantly agreed, as she had become bored at home on New Alderaan (as was previously mentioned), conveniently forgetting about the "interesting" character that called the planet home. Han had also eagerly agreed, and it was planed for the two of them to go, along with Alden, Chewie and Threepio. Han had vehemently argued against the droid's place on the trip, but had finally acquiesced after Threepio had proven his knowledge of the traditions of the small planet and told Han that he would be willing to attend all of the upcoming meetings, eliminating Han's need to be present during the especially tedious parts of the visit. Han was willing to tolerate Threepio's annoying traits if it meant that he would have more time with his son, friend, and his ship, as well as more time for adventure. Some sacrifices were just worth it.

That is enough general description for now, so we shall proceed to what are hopefully more interesting events.

Leia was practically screaming for Han, assuring him that if he did not leave his tinkering at that very moment he would regret it for the rest of his life. He sprinted into the room in response to her convincing argument, and skidded to a halt in front of Leia, who was sitting on the ground next to Alden. The baby was lying down on soft, padded material, intertwining his fingers and studying his movements with utmost fascination. From time to time he would roll slightly to one side, which caused his mother to jump with anticipation, but he would always merely roll back to his original position. Han gaped at the event that he would supposedly "regret for the rest of his life" if he missed it, and reevaluated his opinion on Leia's sanity.

"He was just about to roll over," Leia assured him, eyes never straying from her son's figure. "I'm not crazy, really."

"Sure," Han said, not exactly convincingly.

"No, he really was about to roll over."

"He's always 'about to roll over,'" Han argued. "You might as well have a holo-recorder on him at all times if you're so worried about one of us missing it."

Leia brightened at that. "Han, that's a great idea!"

"Oh no," he groaned. "I was being _sarcastic_, not serious. It's not even that important that we see him do it for the first time. He may have done it already, for all we know."

Leia glared at him.

He extended his arms out in a shrug. "Hey, the truth hurts," he proclaimed.

"Ooh!" Leia shouted, and tossed a baby toy at him. "I hope that you _don't_ see him roll over for the first time - you don't deserve it!"

Laughing, Han escaped back into the cockpit.

You WiLL review this story...please?


	67. Her Majesty

**Oh, swearword! I can't believe that I did that! Thank you so much for catching that, Dovasary. Okay, so this chapter is supposed to be before the one I just posted, but everything should be in order now. I thought that I had posted this already. If you don't understand what I'm talking about, ignore this statement.**

**I'll just do responses here, anyway.**

**GreatOne - **Yep! I guess looniness runs in his family!

**Mousewolf - **Yes, it's definitely getting weird. I think it gets more normal after this chapter, though. And you have nothing to be sorry about with the "bloody" comment. I just was confused at first glance. And to answer your question, I'm American. Thus the lingual confusion. I'm glad you liked the chapter!

**CowgirlBlondie** - Yep, brothers are good for getting them to do what you want. I'm glad you like it! Here's some more, or what should have been the earlier chapter!

**Dovasary** - Thank you SO much for noticing my little mistake! I think my long summer has begun to eat away at my brain. Hehe, I have many "freak-of-nature" tendencies myself, so there's no problem there. Plus I understand that it is much easier to read everything in order. I shall keep on going, and thank you for reading and keeping on top of things!

**Chapter 67**

The rest of the trip was spent with Leia staring at Alden, willing him to roll over, while Han worked on the ship or watched the two of them, occasionally making comments or laughing at her folly. Leia would periodically glare at him, and tell him to leave. He listened to her…a few times.

Their arrival was nothing unusual, with the Falcon experiencing a few bumps and near crashes, but it _was_ the Falcon after all. To land without a few heart palpitations would be scarier than if a few TIE fighters popped up and started firing at them without warning. Therefore, everyone was calm and ready for the meeting as they walked down the ramp.

Han went first, blaster at the ready, and once he reached the end of the ramp and was sure everything was safe he motioned for Leia to walk down and join him. She held Alden (who had yet to roll over), and surveyed the planet. It was full of lush green trees, clusters of orange flowers, and golden fields. The hilly landscape hid modern structures that were unquestionably quite expensive, and was filled with rows upon rows of vines overflowing with some sort of spherical fruit. There was nothing about the planet that seemed menacing, and the couple strode forth, wondering where their welcoming committee was. Chewie and Threepio joined them, and the droid made his opinion clear on the subject of the planet's hospitality.

"Well, if they cannot make the effort to welcome us from the ship, I am not sure that they should be joining the Alliance at all," Threepio whined. "It certainly violates all rules of decorum."

"Shut it, Threepio," Han returned. "I'm sure they're coming."

Sure enough, a few moments later a group of frivolous-looking individuals approached them. Most were sitting atop large, fast-looking creatures with long, braided manes, and wore outfits that made it look as if they had just been busy playing noble sports, rather than passing legislation. The leader of the committee sat tall, and lifted his chin slightly, as if the gesture was impressive to his visitors. His hair was a shade that matched the fields perfectly, and he seemed to glow with his sense of self-importance. His hair was flowing in the "wind," which was actually a gust that was created by two servants on either side of him fanning him frantically. He immediately recognized his visitors once he lowered his chin enough to be able to view them, and nearly squealed with excitement.

"Hel-lo my friends!" he shrieked. "Why you come to Ican'tbelieve?"

Han had nearly collapsed with misery upon sight of the prince, but Leia found her composure and greeted him with a smile pasted on her face.

"We have come to Ican'tbelieve entertaining the hope that your great planet will agree to join the Alliance. We can offer you protection and aid in times of need, and you will be contributing to the galaxy in ways that are otherwise impossible."

"We see if we join," he said, brushing her off. "But who is that little one? He your baby?"

"Yes," Leia replied.

"He have such nice skin. So bright and clear. Can I use him in commercial for Fabio Healing Cream?"

"No!" the parents shouted immediately.

"Okay, okay, I get it. When he older, he can be in commercial. Fabio is fine now," the prince said, shaking his hair dramatically. "Let us go to palace now. The heat is ruining Fabio's perfect complexion. Tan lines never becoming to Fabio."

He and his entourage galloped toward the palace, his visitors following on foot.

The Ambassadors were winded upon reaching the palace. The palace structure was immense and golden (anything else would have been atrocious to Fabio), and held within its walls many rooms of unsurpassed elegance. Portraits of Fabio and Fabio-like ancestors adorned the walls. It would probably be very scary at nighttime.

Fabio was waiting for them on his throne, sipping a purple beverage in a clear goblet of ornate design. He swallowed the rest of the contents down, and then snapped his fingers and two manservants appeared to take the glass away.

"I drink only best from my vineyards," Fabio commented. "If drink bad, Fabio not happy."

"And it's so important for Fabio to be happy," Han grumbled.

"Yes, I know," Fabio stated, ignorant of Han's tone.

Fabio opened his mouth to tell his visitors more about his magnificent planet and palace, but he was interrupted by the appearance of a middle-aged woman wearing extravagant red robes.

"Get off my throne," she growled.

"Mother!" Fabio screeched. "I was not aware you return today."

"Stop speaking like that. It's ridiculous, and demeaning to your planet. I did not put you through the top university on the planet to have you speak like a child."

"Yes, Mother," Fabio said, hanging his head in shame.

"Now, who are all these people polluting the illustrious reputation of our palace? I am disgusted by the filth."

"They're Ambassadors from the Alliance. They want us to join," Fabio replied in a dejected tone devoid of his previous accent.

"Our planet will not join with a band of rabble rousers. We are royalty, and royalty will not stoop down to the level of _democracy_," she countered, spitting the last word.

"I am sorry for any misconceptions that you may have about the Alliance, ma'am," Leia started, no longer able to stand the woman's dismissal, "but we are not against royalty. I am a princess myself."

"You are a princess?" the queen asked, plotting her move. "Well then, we will agree to join on one condition: you marry my son, Fabio."

Leia laughed. "I don't think so. I am already married," she motioned to Han, "and I have a son, if you haven't noticed already."

"Nonsense! You will nevertheless marry my son. We have riches beyond imagination, and free pony rides."

"I'm sorry, but I am very happily married. It wouldn't work out," Leia stated bluntly.

"Then you are condemning your precious Alliance to utter ruin! Our riches can provide all the necessary funding for your organization! You fool!"

"I'm sorry, but even if the Alliance _were_ struggling for money and I _was not_ married already I wouldn't marry your son. I love Han, and marrying your son would destroy me. I would be living a charade of a life just to make the Alliance a few credits. It doesn't make any sense."

"FOOL!" the queen screamed. "TRAITOR! IMBECILE! PACIFIST WENCH!"

As the outraged queen spat at Leia, two men in guard uniforms sprinted down one of the long hallways. One of them had a white garment in his hands. They reached the queen, forcefully put the jacket on her, and tied her arms behind her back. She wriggled furiously, and tried to jump away, but they held her tightly.

"You're not getting away this time," one of the guards assured.

"I will not go back there! I am queen! You will never get me!" she cried as she ran into a wall.

"Come on," the other guard commanded. The two of them held the queen, and carried her off into a remote area of the palace. She cursed them colorfully, and then cursed her "Uncle Franco," a.k.a. the stuffed wompat on the shelf next to her.

And so was another insane chapter added to the Solo family saga.


	68. Three Times

**Sorry, all! The new chapter is chapter 67, as I posted out of order! Sorry about the mix-up!**

**TheRealLeia – **I'm glad that you agree with my characterization of Leia! I know, Prince Fabio is pretty scary. The coolest H/L author? Thank you! I love you too! Thanks for reading!

**GreatOne** – Yup, he's there lurking about! I'm so glad that you enjoy this story so much! Thanks for taking the time to re-read! Now, if only I could get myself going with my other story…

**Mousewolf **– At first, when I saw "bloody babies" I thought that I had forgotten that the baby was hurt or something. Then the meaning registered. Hmm…I don't know if I'm ready for college. Thank you for reading!

**EsmeAmelia** – We shall see! Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**CowgirlBlondie** – hangs head in shame It was just one tiny Jedi trick, 's all. And with the hurricane - I hope everything is all right! I'm glad that you're enjoying the humor in this. Thank you for reading!

**Jediryu** – Thank you! Yep, it took a long time, but I did it! It's always much easier when you have fun writing a story. Thanks for taking the time to read and review!

**Chapter 68**

After the incident with the queen, the group decided to take a walk through the field outdoors, which should have been a peaceful setting for a peaceful conversation.

"I apologize for my mother. She not well," Fabio remarked with a hint of the accent that his mother had abolished.

"You mean she's insane," Han stated bluntly.

"She is not insane!" Fabio claimed passionately, then, with a magical stroke of his fingers through his lustrous hair, he was calm again. "She just upset because she not like intruders. She can _feel_ when people intrude palace, like Fabio feel when people want him."

"That's just great. All we need is a pair of Force-sensitive crazies running around," Han groaned.

"Horse-sensitive? I always have soft spot for the ponies."

Han slapped his palm to his forehead. "No, I said _Force_-sensitive. I was just saying that it would be pretty bad if it turned out that you and your crazy mom were Force-sensitive."

"What is this Force?"

"Never mind. We don't want to get into it," Leia said.

"Really – Fabio wants to know," the prince pleaded.

"Okay, I'll tell you what the Force is, if you really want to know. It's an illness that will gradually make you look ugly and old. It takes about a month for its full effect to take place," Han teased.

"No!" Fabio yelled. "That not true, that impossible! The Force evil!"

"He's just kidding, Fabio," Leia clarified, rolling her eyes. "The Force isn't an illness."

"Not an illness?"

"No."

"Good – we shall move on," Fabio stated, seemingly unaffected.

The group continued their journey through the fields, tumbling in and out of conversation, and Leia thought that she was just about to get Fabio to agree to have his planet join the Alliance when he felt a drop of moisture upon his slightly upturned chin.

"Arh…Geese! A curse on all your houses!" Fabio bellowed, shaking his fist at the sky. He glanced upward, and then turned around and shot a confused look at his companions. "Where Geese?"

More drops of moisture fell on Fabio and the rest of the group, but soon they realized that it wasn't an onslaught from Geese, it was raindrops.

"Melting, I'm melting! Get me back to palace, I'm melting!" Fabio screamed, running around in circles.

"You're not melting, Fabio. It's just rain," Han sighed.

"What is this…_rain_?"

"You mean you've never been in the rain before? Haven't you ever at least seen it from the window or something?" Han questioned, raising his eyebrows.

"Fabio no like windows," he stated seriously.

"O-kay. I think your problem is worse than I had thought," Han commented.

"I have problem?"

Han smacked his forehead again (a prominent red mark was starting to form there from his agitated motions) and shook his head, wishing that he had never met this insane character. His wave of self-pity was broken by his wife's gentle entreaty.

"Han, we should go find some shelter. I don't want Alden to be out here in the rain."

"Definitely," he agreed, looking over to his son to make sure he was all right. He took off his vest and covered his son in its warmth, taking him from Leia's arms into his own. "Let's head to the Falcon, it's closer."

"Thank you, Captain Solo. I am certain that my gears would not have been able to survive such weather," Threepio stated.

Chewie rumbled his agreement, shaking himself so that small droplets flew off of his fur in all directions.

The group trudged through the grass, which was slowly becoming more difficult to walk through as the dirt transformed into mud. They reached the Falcon, and all but Leia were through the hatchway when they realized that they were missing a group member.

"Fabio! Where are you going? Come in here," Leia shouted at the quickly retreating prince.

"Fabio not go in there," Fabio stated emphatically, pointing at the Falcon.

"Why not?"

"Fabio would rather die in this rain than go in there."

"The Falcon's the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy. She's perfectly fine. Please come inside the ship," Leia said, defending her husband's pride and joy.

"No. Fabio too rich to walk in there. I go to palace."

"Fabio, I will ask you for the third time – please come inside the ship."

"Okay," he replied, walking up the ramp. Once inside, he let out a loud groan. "Fabio no believe you figure out secret. Cannot be asked same question three times, or will always agree."

Leia took a minute to try to piece his jumbled sentences together, but once she did she realized she now knew something about Fabio that she could use to her advantage.

"Fabio," she entreated, "will you please agree to have your planet join the Alliance?"

"Not sure. Fabio need to ask mother."

"But she already said no, and she's insane anyway," Leia explained. Fabio was about to argue against his mother's insanity when Leia quickly continued her statement.

"Fabio, will you please agree to have your planet join the Alliance?"

"No, not two times! You better not…"

"Fabio, will you please agree to have your planet join the Alliance?"

"Okay."

"Yes!" Leia exclaimed, running off to tell Han the good news.

Fabio sighed, and sat down on one of the well-worn couches in the lounge. "Fabio need to learn self-control."


	69. Accomplishments

Hey, thank you all for reviewing! Sorry about the insane amount of time in between chapters - I have become a lazy college girl. This may get rather sappy, so I'm just warning you now before anyone throws a tissy fit or something like that. 

**Chapter 69**

It was nighttime and the rain had ceased, luckily giving Fabio his leave to return to his palace. He had been grating on everyone's nerves with his incessant whining, much like Threepio, and finally Han had had to instill a rule stating:

"If anyone whose name starts with either a 'F' or a 'T' whines about _one thing_ I'm locking them up in the smuggling compartments."

Threepio had tried to argue that his serial number started with a "C" and not a "T" and therefore he was exempt from the rule, but Han had promptly grabbed the golden droid's arm and proceeded to drag him across the lounge toward the compartments, eliciting a series of whiny screams. Instead of following through with the act, though, Han repeated the rule, replacing the "T" with "See-Threepio."

This had been sufficient to shut both of them up, and Fabio had sulked about the cabin for the remainder of his stay in the Falcon. Now he was gone, however, and Threepio was shut down for the night.

Chewbacca had gone to bed early, leaving the young couple and their son to themselves. Alden was lying on a blanket on the floor of the cabin that was delegated as his nursery, and both parents were enthralled with the sight of him. They had thought that they would get used to seeing him – they had thought that his little face would become an ordinary sight, but they had been wrong in their supposition. From the tiny, dark-brown hairs on his head to his bubbly little toes; no part of him was exempt from their wonder. Three months had passed since his birth, yet it seemed as if they had just arrived home from Medical.

As the parents watched their son with pure wonder, he wriggled around happily. He slapped his hands on the floor with inadvertent rhythm, and shifted back and forth as far as he could without completely flopping over. His parents laughed at his antics and played around with him, teasing and entertaining him. They were not expecting what was coming, however. Alden was wobbling back and forth in his typical fashion, which drew no distinct attention from his parents. Therefore they hardly even comprehended it when tilted so far that he rolled over completely. Both parents were completely shocked. Alden stared up at them with big, hazel eyes, smiled and practically winked at Han and Leia. So they both saw their son roll over for the first time, but the event had been completely unanticipated and unprepared for.

Once they had come out of their stupor, they clapped a little and congratulated him. Alden's eyes grew wide and a little bit frightened by the sudden noise, but when his mother lifted him up into her arms and spoke to him soothingly he calmed down, and grew sleepy. His internal "bedtime clock" seemed to go off, and he was asleep in her arms within a couple of minutes.

Leia brought Alden over to his crib and gently set him down on the mattress. Han stood behind her and the two of them admired their son for a few more minutes, then they headed to their own bedroom.

Han was already in bed when Leia stepped out of the refresher. He was stretched out to his full extent, feet nearly hanging off the end of the bed, and he motioned for Leia to join him. She climbed into bed and snuggled against his body, pillowing her head against his shoulder.

"We're lucky, you know," she murmured, lifting her chin up to kiss him. "The odds were definitely against us making it."

"Well, like I always say…"

"…never tell you the odds," Leia finished.

"Yeah, and that there's no such thing as luck," he added.

"Since when have you said that?"

"Never," he grinned. "I've just spent too much time around Luke and you."

"You can never spend too much time around me," she returned, kissing his cheek and caressing him gently.

"True," he whispered, "definitely true."

He kissed her ardently, full on the lips, and no more words were needed for the rest of the night.


	70. Jedi Powers?

**Sorry this has been so long in coming, all! Thank you GreatOne and EsmeAmelia for reviewing!**

**Chapter 70**

The next morning, Han and Leia were forced awake, like usual, from the sound of Alden's wailing. Neither of them had any desire to remove themselves from the warmth of each other's arms, but Alden was always their first priority, so the necessity to provide for his wellbeing overrode whatever they desired at the moment.

"I'm coming, little monster," Leia mumbled as she regretfully removed Han's arms from their position across her waist.

Han slumped back into an almost childlike stance of discontent. He watched his wife with crossed arms and one eye closed, protesting the act of waking up. Leia slipped on her robe, tying the sash tightly, and walked toward the door.

"Aren't you coming?" she asked, crossing her arms in a conscious imitation of her husband.

"Do I really need to? It seems like you don't really need my help when you're feeding him."

"Since when has that stopped you from coming into his room with me in the morning? I thought it was your job to annoy me with dumb jokes while I'm trying to feed him."

"My jokes aren't dumb! The guys always laugh at them…"

"My point exactly," Leia retorted.

He scowled at her. "Well, why is it that I can't just stay here one morning? The tyke won't miss his pop too much."

"Why are you so adamant about staying in the bunk this morning? You usually _enjoy_ checking on your son when he wakes up."

"I'm just tired, s'all. You wore me out last night," he grinned.

"And that's supposed to make me pity you?"

"Pretty much."

Leia let out a loud, exasperated sigh and left the room to check on her needy son. His full-fledged crying calmed down to a slight whimper at the sight of his mother, but then as he remembered his reason for calling to her in the first place he began bawling again.

"Shh, shh," Leia whispered, approaching the crib. "Mama's here to help."

Lifting her son out of his crib, she began feeding him. She reached out to him with the comfort of the Force, a skill which was one of the many that Luke was currently teaching her, and was once again amazed with the level of response Alden gave her. She hoped that Han would be accepting of their son's special gift. He had proclaimed before Alden's birth that he didn't care whether or not his son was a Jedi adept, but now that Alden was here and Han was so protective of him, she was unsure whether or not he would want his little boy to be trained as a Jedi. She had avoided approaching Han on the subject, except for a little hint she had given him about Alden's potential, but she was not sure whether he had even been listening when she told him. She knew that she should bring the subject up as soon as possible.

When Alden was finished eating, he closed his eyes and dozed off, snoring softly. When he was completely asleep again Leia laid him down again and went back to her room.

"Did you have a nice nap?" she questioned her husband sarcastically.

"Yup," Han proclaimed with a smug grin.

"Good for you," she replied, quickly ceasing her harsh tone to bring about the subject that she knew she could no longer avoid. "Han, I have to talk to you about something."

He furrowed his eyebrows in concern, but she stopped him before he grew too worried. She sat next to him, taking his hand in her palm and studying its contours in a vain attempt to eliminate her anxiety.

"I know we already talked about this, but I haven't mentioned it since before Alden was born. I didn't want to say anything because I didn't know how you would react."

"Well, what is it?"

"Alden has…amazing Jedi potential. I know you want him to be able to choose what he wants to be, and he will be able to, but I just want you to know that there's a possibility that he could be a Jedi."

Han threw the blankets to the side, stood up abruptly and paced around, frowning, and began muttering angrily to himself. Leia grew concerned, and entreated for him to be more understanding.

"Be more _understanding_? This is my son's life we're talking about! I don't want him running around and using mumbo jumbo all the time."

"But Han, you believe in the Force! Why are you so upset?"

"Well, Leia, Luke's gonna make him become a Jedi, because he's gonna convince us that there's no other way."

"No he won't, Han. You're the one who's being unreasonable. Alden can't help it if he inherited my Jedi potential," Leia cried, becoming desperate.

Han started laughing. Leia looked at him as if he had just morphed into a Wookiee.

"How are you possibly laughing?"

"I got you good there, Sweetheart. You seriously thought I would be mad that Alden had Jedi potential? I never even considered the possibility of him _not_ having Jedi powers."

"You mean you made me provoked me on purpose? Even through I was getting so distraught?"

"Hey, it's me. I had to get you back somehow for being so mean to me."

Leia was becoming very flustered, and was glaring at Han with as much menace as a Rancor. She was emitting a sound that was a sort of growl/screech, and was threateningly leaning toward her husband, hands on hips.

Han walked toward Leia and held both her arms, stating, "you're so cute when you're angry," before roughly kissing her. She resisted at first, holding on to her fury, but her irritation faded under his caress. She furiously kissed him back, giving him what was his proper punishment.


	71. Scoundrel Lessons

**CowgirlBlondie – Well, then, here's more! Thanks for reviewing!**

**EsmeAmelia – Thank you! I'm glad that you like Han and Leia's banter in this. And it's nice to know that the story is energetic. **

**Skychaser – Yes, I realize that is a bit like a collection of vignettes, which I suppose is a result of me trying to come to some sort of conclusion in every chapter and then writing each one individually. I'm glad you're enjoying this story, though, and thank you for reviewing! I suppose Han does deserve a good kick at some point, huh? ;)**

**There are only about four chapters left after this one, so don't be leaving now!**

**Chapter 71**

When it had reached mid-morning on Ican'tbelieve, the Solos, Chewbacca, and Threepio exited the Falcon in order to make the best of their stay. They would be leaving the next morning, and they wanted to do as much damage…or, _enjoy themselves_ as much as possible.

However, their day was not going to go as planned, if Fabio had anything to do about it. He was poised on his noble steed in front of the Falcon, silhouetted by the sun and all its magnificence, hair whipping in the wind and his very presence mocking all the mere mortals surrounding him.

The (other) creature bucked, and Fabio leaned back, facing the group and running elegant fingers gently through his glorious mane, before slowly bringing down his hand, clenched in a fist, so that it rested against his dignified brow. He closed his eyes with pensive flair, and began to speak.

"My friends, my allies…"

Then he fell off.

Han started laughing, while Leia went to check on the fallen idol, pitying him.

"I am but hurt," he whispered before fainting.

A half hour later, Fabio came to with the help of his servants' fanning. He squinted one eye open, seeing a crowd huddled around him, then quickly shut it again, moaning softly.

"The horror! The horror!" he murmured.

"What was that?" Han asked.

"Fabio say…the horror, the horror!"

"What's the horror? The fact that you miserably fell off, or the fact that you're hurt?"

"Han!" Leia exclaimed, shoving him gently.

"The horror…the horror is…my hair is mussed," he sighed. "Do you…have a comb or brush?"

"Uh, no, I don't have either of those. Leia likes the messy look," Han replied, grinning impishly. "In fact, I think you would have better luck with the ladies if you didn't worry about your hair so much. I think you tend to scare them off."

"You think…women scared of me? But Fabio so tan, and beautiful, with such long, blond hair. He so cultured and…mysterious."

"Yeah, except you have the wrong idea. Women don't go for the nice, cultured men - they go for the scoundrels. I know from personal experience."

Leia rolled her eyes and attended to Alden, ignoring the men, but Fabio sat up.

"You think Fabio should be a scoundrel?" the prince asked attentively.

"Well…I really don't think it's possible, but you would get more women that way."

"Fabio _will_ be a scoundrel. Will you…help me, Han?"

"I guess, since I'm the expert. Let's see," he began, rubbing his hands together, "first you have to lose the weird accent thing. Some women like accents, but yours is just stupid."

"Should Fabio talk like this? The world is a little bit brighter already."

"Well, that's better, but you need to stop using your name when you're speaking. I don't go around saying, '_Han_ is amazing' – I would say, '_I_ am amazing.'"

"I see. I won't say, '_Fabio_ is beautiful' – I'll say, "_I_ am beautiful.'"

"Exactly. Next, you need to stop looking like you came off of the cover of an idiotic romance holonovel. Cut your hair, and get some normal clothes."

"But I _did_ come off the cover of an idiotic romance holonovel," Fabio protested.

"I really don't care. If you want my help, you listen to what I say."

Fabio's lower lip quivered. "Okay."

"You see? There's no way you can ever be a scoundrel if you act like that. It's not the scoundrel way. You have to act tough, and tell people when they're wrong."

"But Fabio no…"

Han glared at him.

"I mean…I don't think I can do that."

"That's fine with me. It's not like I care what happens to you, or if you ever get lucky."

"But I want to get lucky!" Fabio exclaimed, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. Leia looked at Han accusingly, but her husband just shrugged.

"Well then, you have to listen to me," he told the prince.

Fabio nodded.

"Okay. If you do everything I said, you're off to a pretty good start. The main thing you have to do, though, is act casual. Don't try too hard."

"But I _have_ to try hard to be a scoundrel," Fabio whimpered, and then began weeping openly. "I just…can't do it! I can't beat you!"

"What in all of Corellia's hells are you talking about? I didn't want you to beat me; I just wanted to get you to stop acting like such a sissy. There's no way you could beat me, anyway. I'm Han Solo, for Sith's sake."

"But the whole _point_ was to beat you. I thought if I could be like you, Leia would want to be with me instead."

Han glared menacingly at the smaller man. "You were trying to take Leia away from me this whole time? What sort of warped plans were you coming up with in that tiny little mind of yours?"

"Pretty much just this one," Fabio gulped, preparing himself for the worst.


	72. The Fight

Sorry about the long wait, all! Thank you so much for your reviews, and thank you everyone for reading!

**Chapter 72**

Han was quick on the draw, pulling his blaster out of its holster and pointing it directly at Fabio's chest. The prince cowered, falling to the ground and covering his head and chest with his arms, hair falling in front of him, creating an ineffectual blast shield.

"Ah, stop it, Captain Solo, stop! Oh, how dreadful. Why don't we play ring-around-the-rosie instead?" Threepio cried.

"What the hell are you doing, Fabio?" Han questioned, ignoring the droid.

"Don't shoot me!" the prince meekly commanded.

"And why shouldn't I? This whole time you've been lying, and I've had to put up with all your stupid behavior. Maybe the galaxy would be better off without you."

_Dun dun dun!_

"No, I'll change, I promise!"

Han pushed the blaster closer. "What, you mean like how you wanted to become a scoundrel? You weren't exactly telling the truth about _that_ one."

_Dun dun dun!_

"I really did want to become a scoundrel. I just couldn't do it. This time I'll follow through. I won't go after your wife anymore."

"You may have been telling the truth before, _buddy_, but you still had the wrong intentions. I don't believe you."

_Dun dun dun!_

"Please, just give me a chance. It's what your wife wants."

Han glanced over to Leia, keeping an eye on Fabio. She shrugged.

"I don't really think she cares what happens to you, Fabio."

_Dun dun dun!_

"Where's that blasted noise coming from?"? Han asked Fabio, scowling.

_Dun dun dun!_

Fabio nervously pointed over to a man playing a large instrument nearby. The musician was watching them intently, hands poised over the apparatus. Han swiftly shifted his arm so that his blaster was pointing at the man.

"Are you finished?" Han asked, voice offering no alternative.

The man nodded, but by this time Fabio had jumped to a standing position and was attempting to run away. Han leapt after the prince, tackling him to the ground. The air escaped from Fabio's lungs with a loud "umpf!"

"I'm not finished with you yet. In fact, maybe Leia wants to help,"? Han said, glancing at his wife.

"Not really. You go ahead. Don't shoot him, though, Han. He's not worth it."

Han gawked, amazed at his wife's uncharacteristically sadistic attitude, while Fabio made a wheezing sound under the weight of the Corellian.

"You're sure?" Han questioned.

"I'm sure. I haven't been able to stand him since he first swooped to our front door in the middle of the night. And now that I know that he's been trying to "win me over" this whole time, I really don't care what happens to him."

I'll help Chewbacca growled.

"That's okay, buddy. I think our advantage would be more than unfair if you joined in," Han replied.

Fabio squirmed under Han's weight, rotating his shoulders rapidly in an attempt to free himself from the man's grasp, but his attempts only made Han tighten his grip on Fabio's arms. Fabio was desperate for an escape route (as he was never one to face a challenge) and as he squirmed he kicked the Corellian directly in the kneecap.

"Ow!" Han cried, enraged. He pulled back from Fabio, unintentionally giving the prince just enough time to escape yet again.

As the prince ran, Han limped after him, appearing ogre-ish with his stance and grunting.

"I'm gonna get you Fabio!" he shouted, gasping with pain, and holding his knee as he trod forth.

The prince desperately searched for objects to throw, and came upon a fist-sized clay jug that he flung in Han's direction. Doomed with terrible aim, Fabio missed by quite a distance, and scrambled around the room in search of more objects that he could use to defend himself. All the while Han lumbered toward him, closing the gap rather quickly for a temporarily crippled man. He led Fabio into a corner, where the prince crouched pathetically, clutching a vase in his hands. Han almost pitied the disgraced man.

"This is pretty sad for someone who said he wanted to become a scoundrel," Han admonished.

The prince looked up at the larger man as if he were about to cry. Han stepped back, not wanting to hit a defenseless man, no matter how annoying he was.

Fabio looked relieved, and stepped forward with his arms out in a gesture of peace. Han was almost willing to accept Fabio's apology, when Fabio began slapping at Han, determined to take down the Corellian. Han, newly angered, grasped both of Fabio's hands in one of his own, and sent the prince flying with a blow to the jaw. Fabio was once again unconscious.


	73. Arr, Pirates!

**Hey everyone! Look, I'm alive! Here's a new chapter for all you pirates fans, though it was written far before the new movie came out and the ride was altered. Thank you so much for your continued support!**

**Chapter** **73**

Han stared at the fallen prince, hand still clenched in a fist. Fabio was motionless, but was luckily still breathing. Han threw a side-glance over to Fabio's servants, did a double take, and realized that he might be in for more trouble than he had imagined. The servants were looking somberly upon their fallen master, and Han was afraid that at any moment they would begin to go after him.

One of the fanciest-looking servants approached Fabio, gently held the back of his hand against the prince's forehead, and nodded. He stood up, facing Han.

"My name is Kirmo. I am one of Master Fabio's most important servants. You have injured my master, sir, and there's only one way we can respond to such an action."

Han flinched, ready for an all-out attack by Fabio's faithful menservants, and poised his fists readily. Kirmo slapped his hands together, which Han thought was a sign to his fellow servants, but the gesture was repeated again, and slowly increased in tempo until he and the rest of the servants were clapping fervently in Han's honor.

"Thank you sir, thank you so much. We are greatly indebted to you. I, and the rest of my colleagues, have wanted to perform such an action upon the esteemed prince for many years. Is there any way we can repay you?"

"Yeah," Han responded, grinning. "First of all, I want to be able to leave this planet."

"That will be no problem, sir. You are already cleared."

"Good. Then, second of all, I've been wanting to go back somewhere I went awhile ago, and I was wondering if you could get me some tickets…"

_The next day…_

"I'm so glad we're back at Corellia Land, Han. I think Fabio was driving everyone crazy," Leia stated, leaning on her husband's arm.

"I'm not exactly someone who would argue with that. I think we deserve some free time, after that evil trip the government sent us on."

"Well, where should we go? We have a baby now, and I think we went on almost every ride last time."

"Don't worry, I know just the place."

Han led Leia and Alden to a chained-off area that was surrounded on both sides by winding ramps, leading upward. They followed the path of the right ramp into an antiquated building, where they were met with the peculiar sight of a line of people bordering a small river full of tiny, ancient floating vessels. Each vessel was filled with humans and nonhumans in various types of gaudy garb, energetically (or perhaps drunkenly) singing the words to a song that Han and Leia had never heard. They were intrigued, and stood in line until they came upon a Mon Calamarian dressed in what looked like striped rags.

"Arr, how many people be going aboard?" he asked, leaning forward.

"It's just us two, and our baby," Leia replied, thrown somewhat off guard.

"Arr, hold on tight to the wee one, this be a bumpy journey into the pirates' cove," the Mon Calamarian warned.

"Sure – of course," Leia replied hesitantly.

"Arr, then ye be going in row four I be thinkin'."

Without another word, the three piled into the fourth row of the rickety-looking vessel. Looking around, they discovered that it appeared as if they were outdoors, though they knew that they had entered a closed building. The sounds of foreign insects buzzed, and various creatures seemed to call out to each other among the brush. Nearby, people dining at a riverfront restaurant ate their food excitedly. This was definitely a strange place.

Suddenly the vessel began moving, and they slowly began their ride down the river. They passed an old man on an old-fashioned repulsor chair, lit dimly by the candle in his lantern, and approached a bizarre, talking skull with a large black hat attached to the wall. He spoke to them with grim resolve, and as they drew under him, they began falling rapidly through blackness into a pool of water, which splashed them without remorse. Before they could regain their bearings, the vessel fell again, and they reached a blue-tinted cove with the sound of cheerful music echoing throughout. Alden began fussing, but Leia quieted him quickly by pointing out to him all the wonders of the cove. The music rose, and soon the words "Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me" were intelligible.

"Hey!" Han exclaimed. "This is my kind of ride!"

They passed by skeletons surrounded by piles of gold and jewels, which glittered so brightly in comparison to the dreary cave that it was almost impossible to resist the urge to reach out and grab a fistful of the treasure. However, they quickly passed the paradoxical scene and were once again shrouded by darkness. An eerie voice called out,

_Dead men tell no tales_

An elderly-sounding man then added, "Perhaps he knows too much. He's seen the curséd treasure; he knows where it be hidden. Proceed now at your own risk. These might be the last friendly words you'll hear. You may not survive to pass this tale."

_Dead men tell no tales_

They drew out of the cave and into a misty fog, which almost chocked them with its thickness. They emerged from the veil of white into a scene much like a space battle – a gigantic vessel was engaging fire with their enemy. The shots seemed to only nearly miss them, and Alden began crying uncontrollably, much to the exasperation of both parents. They tried to calm him down, but he was inconsolable. Other passengers turned around in annoyance and glared at the baby, as if he could conceive of their wishes. His cries were soon droned out and eventually hushed, though, as they approached the next part of the ride.

Human-like droids were yelling at each other, and chaos abounded. A man tied to a rope was being tugged up and down a well, with the scoundrels around him demanding his acquiescence. The other side of the river showed a pirate offering "wenches for brides," and brought about Leia having to hush Han repeatedly about his lewd jokes.

As they passed under an overhang, they approached a building with open windows depicting women (presumably the wives) running after the men inside, cooking tools in hand.

"Ah, so this ride _is_ quite realistic," Leia teased.

"I'm sure they're just chasing the men because they're scoundrels. We're irresistible, ya know," Han returned.

"That's _not_ what I meant."

"I know."

"You're such a scoundrel."

"I know."

"I love you."

"I know."

They kissed quickly (not that they didn't want to kiss for a longer duration, of course), and as Han wrapped his arm tighter around Leia's shoulders, they approached the merriest scene (from a pirate's perspective, at least) they had encountered so far. The pirates were all drunkenly singing the song that they had heard at the beginning of the ride as they wobbled about and clung to each other for support. The catchy song was soon being sung by everyone aboard the vessel, Han and Leia included, though the only words anyone seemed to know were "yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me".

It seemed to be that as soon as the cheerfulness began, it ended. The next room they entered had three jail cells with begging pirates behind bars, with a small creature holding the key between its teeth innocently.

"That's not right," Han blurted, somewhat strangely. He jumped up as if he were about to go free the imprisoned pirates, but Leia grabbed his arm and forced him to sit back down.

"Han – it's just a ride. They're not real," Leia reminded him.

"I know that, but this ride's sending out the wrong message."

"And what's that?"

"That pirates are bad."

"But pirates _are_ bad."

He paused, and replied with, "touché."

The vessel floated through pirates drunkenly shooting at each other, and began traveling upwards. The last pirates to appear were attempting to pull a bag full of treasure up to the surface, quite unsuccessfully. Skeletons littered the stone edge of the river, reaching forth as if to endeavor to escape their fate. The vessel reached the top, and dropped back into the original section of the ride, pirate-less. They passed a lit up treasure map, and then the ride was effectively over.

As they stepped out of the vessel, they said, in concurrence,

"Let's go on it again."


	74. Odd Happenings

**Chapter 74**

They went on the ride several more times, along with revisits to the Indiana Jones ride and several other favorites, some of which required either Han or Leia to stay behind with Alden. Unfortunately they were required to report back to the Alliance as soon as possible, which greatly shortened their vacation. They were forced to make it a day trip, and as a result were harried in their attempts to fit everything in that they wanted to.

They decided to meet up with Chewie and Threepio for their midday meal (who knew what those two had been up to), and were surprised to see them sitting together at a large table surrounded by various memorabilia. They were both inspecting their items, and seemed a little bit too excited about their theme park purchases to be the real Chewie and Threepio.

"Whatcha got there, fuzzball?" Han asked as they moved toward the odd duo.

Chewie held up a plastic figurine about a meter tall, which bore a remarkable resemblance to the Wookiee.

Do I really look like this? he growled.

"Pretty much, buddy. So you went on the Tours ride, then?"

Chewie nodded.

"Pretty crazy, huh? But you already knew all about it, since you were part of the ride!"

I needed the money. The Alliance didn't even give me a medal for risking my fur, let alone a paycheck!

"Uh-huh, sure. And those modeling gigs you did weren't enough, were they? You just had to get more?"

Models are vastly underpaid. The photographers were lucky to escape with all their limbs.

"That's for sure."

"Captain Solo, I was quite unaware that they were using my prototype for a ride. I almost short-circuited when I saw myself in there," Threepio contended.

"And how would that have been a bad thing?"

"Why, Sir, if I had short-circuited surely I would not be able to function."

"I know," Han replied, grinning as he saw his Wookiee cohort guffawing at the droid's expense.

"Then why…?"

"Never mind, Threepio. Those two don't make sense to me either, sometimes," Leia soothed as she glowered at her unruly husband.

"Well, I must say I never…"

"Shut up, Goldenrod!" Han admonished.

"_Han_," Leia warned. "Be nice to Threepio, or I won't give you an award for being a good boy on this trip."

"Uh, sorry, Threepio. I was just teasing you. No hard feelings," Han stated rather quickly.

"That's better," Leia smiled, kissing him deeply. They were perfectly content to ignore their audience.

Chewbacca made a noise that suspiciously sounded like "ahem" and the couple was forced out of their daze

"There'll be more of that in your future if you behave, smarty pants," Leia whispered into Han's ear as she pulled away.

"Don't worry – I'm a good boy."

"If you say that you should keep a careful watch over your nose."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"What's wrong with my nose?"

"Absolutely nothing."

"Then why should I watch it?"

"No reason."

"C'mon – tell me!"

Leia began tending to Alden.

"I'll never understand this woman!" Han told his furry friend, throwing his arms up in defeat.

"Perhaps now you can understand the difficulties that plague me, Captain Solo," Threepio said hopefully, but Han was ignoring him as he watched his wife care for their son. A few moments later he was back at their side.

"Hey beautiful," Han said, kissing Leia's neck. He proceeded to bend down and kiss his son on the forehead. "Hey, handsome."

"What are you – bipolar?" Leia asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Can't a man admire his family in peace?"

"I suppose," Leia replied, making a show of being hesitant, but showed no resistance as her husband showered her with affectionate kisses across her face and neck.

Just moments after she spoke the words, however, a procession began down the street that virtually destroyed the peace of all the inhabitants of the park. A vibrant red landspeeder slowly glided down the street, adorned with a plethora of state-of-the-art sound projectors. A little girl sitting in the 'speeder, dressed in a rainbow of miss-matched colors, stood up on her seat and began to sing the most obnoxious song anyone in the crowd had ever heard. She wildly gesticulated, undoubtedly to emphasize the words of her song, but she ended up merely looking cheesy and unrealistic. Walking next to her were men and women dressed in flowery shirts, much like those favored by many of the patrons at the park, and they made swimming motions as they walked along and exuberantly sang along with the girl. She reached the chorus, and the sound of gritting teeth and fangs could be heard throughout the park.

"_Help! I need a vacation, now it just can't wait. Help! I need a vacation to get my head on straight. School is cool but I gotta get loose, I'm tired of the same old grind! Help, I want it! Help, I need it! I'm going out of my mind!"_

"Let's get out of here, huh?" Han pleaded.

"I'm with you," Leia agreed, grabbing Alden's supplies.

"…_I can fly way up in the sky! I can go to the beach, take a little dip, and I can kiss my worries goodbye!"_

The Solo family, Chewbacca, and Threepio dashed for the exit of the theme park. They had considered remaining in the park for a while longer; enjoying the peaceful atmosphere of the main street, but the girl was beyond what they could bear. Even the seasoned war veterans had their limits. As they swiftly headed down the street, however, Chewbacca growled to Han.

"What do you mean you want to hear the end of the song? You're joking, right?"

Chewbacca shook his head.

"Well, you can stay behind if you want, because I sure as hell don't want that song stuck in my head for the next ten years."

"_Help! I need a vacation, now it just can't wait! Help, I need a vacation to get my head on straight. Tests and grades and a lot of homework, I'm tired of the same old grind! Help, I want it! Help, I need it! I'm going out of my mind!"_

Chewbacca bared his fangs, but followed Han nonetheless. Even if the song was catchy, he didn't want to catch it completely.

So the family once again left Corellia Land, piled into the Falcon, and headed back to New Alderaan.


	75. The Beginning and End

It's finally come to an end! Thank you everyone so much for reading my story! I'm sorry about the long amount of time it's been since posts, but hopefully it was worth the wait. I really appreciate all those who commented on the story – you really kept me motivated to post. Thank you to all you lurkers out there as well – hopefully you enjoyed my story. Here's a thank you to all you took the time to comment…

Thank you** Sweetdeath04, AmandaGrace, SailorLeia, SoloKenobi, Marguerite Krux, ThePrincess04, freetrader, MissKrux, AnonymousEccentric, GreatOne, TheBeautifulPadmeAmidala, GuardianofWilds, HanSolosGal, ConcreteAngel228, thejedistarfiregrayson, Arwen/Jade Skywalker, LeiaPrincess21, Skychaser, person place or thing too l(azy to sign in…I presume), Mousewolf, KnightedRogue, VickiandTeazer, UnapologeticMocker, not a vader hater, Vampirehelsing, JillieRose, Dovasary, SoloShodan, Dove, baileymartin, Padme'sHandmaidens, EsmeAmelia, lolegolas, HannahSolo, jediryu, tonks, Kimi, JediX-manSerenaKenobi, Ashleigh, Li-Li-ThePinkbookgirl, PiperxoxLeo, Han'slilgirl, and Roki**

**I LOVE AND THANK YOU ALL! If I missed anyone, I'm sorry – but thank you so much for reading. It was an absolute pleasure to read all those wonderful and inspiring reviews, and they definitely encouraged me as a writer. **

**Chapter 75/Conclusion**

Upon returning to their home on New Alderaan in the early hours, Han and Leia discovered that a certain little boy had not taken their absence too well. Ty lay at the foot of their front door, tousled hair lying low over his closed eyelids. He was frowning in his sleep, disturbed over either his dreams or the plaguing notion of his friends' absence, and was clutching a small, furry, plush Ewok in his arms.

"Hey, Ty, Buddy," Han called, gently nudging the boy. "What're you doing here?"

Ty slowly opened his eyes, unfocused and blurry from sleep. "What?" he mumbled.

"What're you doing asleep at our door? Why aren't your parents here?"

"Han?" the boy asked happily. "I'm glad you guys are back! I heard you were coming so I came over here to wait…my parents are still asleep."

Both excited to see the boy and apprehensive about advocating Ty's escape, Leia spoke. "We're glad to see you too, Ty, but you shouldn't have left your home in the middle of the night to come see us. You should have waited until tomorrow."

"I know, but I haven't seen you in so long!"

"How 'bout we just take you home, kid," Han told the boy, set features showing the youth that he meant the comment as a statement, not a question.

"But we have so much to catch up on!"

Han and Leia looked at each other, mouths curving up at the corners in amusement.

"You're starting to sound too much like an adult, Ty," Han grinned, shaking his head. "I think you need to go home and watch some cartoons on the holovision or eat a bowl full of candy or something."

"I probably shouldn't do that."

"Well, it was just an idea. Anyways, you have to go home before your parents wake up and tell the entire planet you're gone."

"But I want to know everything about your adventure! What was Ican'tbelieve like? Did you meet any interesting people?"

"Well, we met Fabio again, and I gave him a pretty good roundhouse punch…"

"Cool!"

"…and we met his crazy mother, who was carried back into a room with padded walls…"

"You met crazy people? I wish could've gone!"

"Well, Ty, if the Alliance ever decides to send me back there, you can go in my place. I certainly never want to go back to that planet ever again," Leia said.

"Why not?"

"It's a long story. Maybe I'll tell you when you're older."

"Is it secret government stuff?"

"Shh, Ty," Han butted in. "You don't want to be spreading that around. There might be spies in the bushes."

"Spies?" Ty asked with rounded eyes. "I hadn't thought of that. Do you think they heard anything?"

"You never know with spies. We should probably go someplace more covert. Your house, maybe."

"Okay. But I'm not going to bed!"

"Of course not. Unless you get too tired, that is."

"No way! I can stay up all night – I don't need to sleep!"

"We'll see about that. Let's get going, though. We shouldn't stay out here any longer than necessary."

"I'm ready!"

They began walking down the stone pathway that surrounded the house, heading back toward the city. The sun was just beginning to peek out from behind the curves of the hills, the dawn casting a golden sheen upon all that met with the sun's rays. The grass, green from the rain and scattered with yellow flowers, reflected the light through its drops of dew that were yet to evaporate into the warm air.

Around the corner, however, there was a boulder that cast a long shadow, seemingly unaffected by the beginning of the new day. Flowers bent forward in its darkness, bowing to the giant. The stone was bent at an unnatural angle, and was scarred by harsh weather and sentients who had no respect for the elderly figure. The sight sent chills down impressionable Ty's spine, and an eerie feeling of dejá vu crept over the senses of both adults. The only one who was not affected by the sight was little Alden, who slept away in his infantile bliss.

A movement caused them all to jump (though Han would certainly deny this), and they froze as they saw a cloaked figure turn toward them. Han reached down to this right hip for his trusty blaster, but remembered that he had left it on the Falcon with the intention of retrieving it when they returned for their luggage. Weaponless, Han and Leia stood in front of Ty, and shielded Alden as best as they could. They considered running, but devilish curiosity mixed with fear overcame them, and they stood transfixed to the spot. Slowly the figure approached, head cocked at what would normally be considered an angle of confusion, but on this villainous figure it was likely a tortured distortion and possibly a source of his anger. Perhaps they could use that to their advantage…

"Hey guys, what are you scared of? Don't tell me _you're_ afraid of Jedis," the familiar voice of Luke Skywalker sang to them.

"Luke!" Han shouted, thrilled to hear his brother-in-law. He grabbed his friend in an enthusiastic bear hug.

"Well, I'm glad you're happy to see me!"

"Luke, I'm so glad it's you!" Leia cried, hugging her brother as well.

"What's the matter? Why were you scared?"

"I guess we were just a little bit too wrapped up in the moment. It doesn't matter, though. We were just about to take Ty home. Do you want to come with us?"

"Of course."

So as the seemingly strange group made their way to the house of Ty's adoptive parents, Han and Leia walked together and reminisced about their first meeting with the little boy, and how much, or rather, how little, he had changed in the year since. When they had discovered him on their doorstep this morning they had been worried about him – if he was too cold, what his parents were thinking, how long he had been there – completely forgetting that he had lived that way for so long with absolutely no adult supervision. In the uncivilized world Ty was capable of caring for himself, and in the civilized world he was incapable of doing the most meager of adult things, not of his own volition but because of adults' perception of him. He had gone from having to do everything to having to do nearly nothing. Most boys would have taken advantage of the situation, trading in their sweet and timid disposition as they threw their rags into the fire in favor of riches, but Ty had truly not changed at all. Of course there were added quirks to his personality that were previously undiscovered or that had not had a chance to show in his earlier circumstances, but he was still just as kind, generous, and fun loving as ever before. He had transitioned from rags to riches with only his situation changing, rather than his spirit.

Han vowed that he would continue his efforts with the adoption agency. If the children on the streets had half the soul of this little boy, any couple would jump at the chance to welcome them into their family. No matter what, they deserved a chance.

They trekked into the rising sun, and as they saw Ty smiling and covering his eyes from the blinding glare, Han and Leia hoped that their son would turn out to be just like the boy from the streets.

**The End**


End file.
